


Defend & Endanger

by hoffkk



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Serial Killer, Solving the case, dani in danger, defend and endanger, the defender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26449603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoffkk/pseuds/hoffkk
Summary: When Malcolm helps the team on a high profile case, the stakes are high and the tension higher as college kids, including a senator's son, are taken out one by one. What do these students have in common? When will the killer strike again? And why does Dani's hand feel so right in Malcolm's? Most importantly, will Malcolm be able to figure out the answers before the killer takes out one of their own?
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 11
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! I wanted to do something special for my 100th fanfic, so a multi-chapter Prodigal story it is! I plan to update as often as I can, so check back weekly for new chapters. Also, I usually use Microsoft word to write my stories, but I recently made the switch to Google Docs. This was supposed to help in many ways, including helping me cut down on spelling/grammar errors. Hopefully it works. Bare with me as we all find out. Lol. Furthermore, this the first time I am writing Brightwell on an actual case. There is a lot to plan and figure out, but I think I have a good outline and solid start, so I hope you enjoy the ride!

_ “People always do crazy things… when they’re in love.” Meg choked out in a rough whisper as her crumpled body lay weak in Hercules’ arms. _

Dani sighed wistfully, hugging a suede beige throw pillow against her chest. Next to her on the couch, a tear pricked the corner of Malcolm’s eye. He would, of course, deny it if Dani noticed. Just like he would deny the moisture that welled up in his other eye when Hercules echoed the sentiment back to his love a couple of scenes later. Luckily, Malcolm could control himself enough, so the wetness didn’t spill over, even through the sappy happy ending. 

When Dani bonded with a kid over Disney movies during their last case, Malcolm learned that  _ Hercules  _ was her favorite and apparently vastly underrated. Unable to offer his two cents on the subject, since he had never actually seen the movie, Dani instantly got worked up out of disbelief and insisted on an emergency movie night to rectify the situation. Malcolm thought the idea seemed a bit ridiculous as he pictured two thirty-something adults watching a children’s animated film, but it wasn’t like he had any other plans for the night besides brooding in his apartment. Not to mention, he wasn’t about to pass up spending time with Dani. She had become a fast friend, one he enjoyed spending time with, could talk to about anything, and would do anything for… including watching an underrated Disney movie.

Now that the film was over, Malcolm had no regrets and agreed the movie deserved more credit than it got. He could see why she liked it so much and told her so, though he kept to himself how Meg reminded him a lot of Dani, being so strong, sassy, and willing to give her life to protect those she cared about. Yeah, there were some strong similarities there.

“What’s not to like?” Dani asked rhetorically before going on. “It’s got kidnapping, a search for identity, monsters,  _ and  _ romance.”

“When you put it like that, it actually sounds a lot like my own life.” Malcolm quipped, using the remote to shut off his flat screen TV. “Minus the romance part.”

Turning to face her friend fully, she absently traced a finger along the bottom seam of the pillow as she spoke more somberly, “You know, it’s been nearly five months since Eve. Maybe you should get yourself back out there.”

He sighed despondently at the reference of his ex-girlfriend. They had only dated briefly before Eve abruptly broke it off and subsequently got murdered, but that didn’t make the entire ordeal any less painful. It weighed on Malcolm and always would, less and less with every passing day, but the pain would never be completely gone.That being said, he was more than ready to move on at this point. Malcolm just wasn’t sure he wanted to move on and date someone new. Dating had its perks, but it also had its complications. For now, Malcolm found it easier to be single and just shrugged out a noncommittal, “Maybe.”

“Hey, if Hercules managed to grow out of his awkward phase and fall in love, I’m sure you will too.” Dani teased.

“Gee, thanks.” Malcolm smirked as he swatted her head gently with the other pillow that had laid forgotten at his side until just now.

“Hey!” She scolded playfully before swatting back.

With that, the gloves came off, and down feathers started flying. They swung their square pillows back and forth a few times before Malcolm disarmed Dani, sending her ammo soaring across the living room with a good whack. Thinking on her feet, she dove forward to steal Malcolm’s pillow, which he attempted to hold out of reach above his head as she pressed him back onto the couch. As they both giggled and struggled to maintain control of the only weapon left in battle, they rolled and tumbled right off of the couch. Malcolm landed with a thud on the hardwood floor below with Dani on top of him. The force of the fall dislodged the pillow from both of their grips as well as the air from both their lungs.

Wincing from the pain of the impact that the thin rug did little to subdue, he groaned, “Okay, I surrender.”

“Me too.” She panted as her head lay against his chest. Once she caught her breath, she pushed herself up using his shoulders and looked into his eyes before questioning, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m all right.” Malcolm assured. As his cerulean stare rolled over her and made the same assessment, he sighed in contentment, pulling a tiny white feather from one of her brown curls. Then, without thinking, he tucked the curl along with a few others behind her ear. They shared a smile, temporarily lost in the sweetness and innocence of the moment. Suddenly, realizing the awkwardness of his action, he cleared his throat and mumbled, “Sorry, you had a feather.”

“Oh,” Dani retorted and rolled off of him, feeling a little embarrassed herself. Rising quickly to her feet, she combed her hands through her dark brown locks to shake out anymore loose down feathers that may have gotten caught. When Malcolm got to his feet, she asked, “Better?”

Staring back at her messy curls and dishevelled peach colored v-neck tee that bore a striking contrast against her creamy mocha complexion, he grinned, “You’re perfect. I-er- you look perfect.”

Biting her lip, she fought a smile of her own as she simply said, “Thanks.” After a few beats, neither of them knew what to do or say next until Dani noted, “It’s getting late. I should probably get going.”

“Right, of course.” He nodded, then walked her over to the door. Dani paused a moment to grab her leather jacket from the wall hook and slip it on. Watching her pull her hair out of the collar, Malcolm instructed, “Text me when you get home.”

“I will.” She promised. It was their ritual anytime she left his place after dark, and vice versa. A safety precaution between friends, if you will. It helped give them both a little peace of mind, especially after a grueling case.

Opening the door, Dani took her leave, but stopped in the middle of the doorway just long enough to look over her shoulder, give a lazy two-finger salute, and say, “Well, thanks for everything Malc. It’s been a real slice.”

Shaking his head with a smirk at her movie reference, Malcolm watched her close the door then locked it up tight. Heading back to his bedroom, he went through his nightly routine of changing his clothes, washing up, and brushing his teeth. Next, he plugged in his phone to charge on his dresser and smiled at the message waiting for him from Dani. Tapping on the text message app, he opened their text chain to find three emojis: house, lollipop, house. It was a code they had made up together, one he had gotten quite used to over the past few months. It stood for home sweet home. Not the most difficult code to crack, but it was theirs, and he liked it. In response, Malcolm typed in the smiley face with a halo, the two finger peace sign, and the red circle with a line through it. This roughly translated to the phrase “good to know” and was his go to response for her notification. Content that she was home safely, Malcolm went back to the bathroom to take his nighttime medications. By the time he popped in his mouth guard and strapped himself into bed, his eyes were already feeling heavy. As sleep slowly came to lay its claim, Malcolm worked to clear his mind, but it kept coming back to a certain someone and how good she felt lying on top of him, how right she felt in his embrace. No, he would not let his mind overthink the events of tonight. Nope, he would not dwell on the moment he had with Dani. Nope. Nope. Nope. It didn’t matter. It meant nothing. He would push it as far from his mind as possible. And that’s exactly what he did… until he finally fell asleep. The thing is, Malcolm was always good at controlling his waking mind. However, his mind during sleep time was a whole other ball game, one with night terrors that tonight featured Martin Whitly in bloody prison garb and Dani in a high pony and a sleek purple dress…

_ Malcolm was with Dani. She wore a simple yet beautiful Grecian dress as she walked with him, hand in hand. They made their way happily down a busy New York street until suddenly everyone just vanished. No people, no cars, no nothing. Looking around the street corner in concern, then back to Dani, she waved his worry away, pointing to a man across the intersection. First, it relieved him. Until the man strolled through the crosswalk and stopped just a few feet away from them. It was Martin Whitly, smiling maniacally as blood dripped boldly down his stark white mental hospital uniform. Malcolm was about to ask what he had done, where the blood had come from when he suddenly felt a wetness against the palm of his hand that still clasped around Dani’s. Glancing over to their intertwined hands, he saw blood. It had dripped down her arm from a knife wound that appeared out of nowhere. Peering up at Dani in confusion, there were four or five more wounds puncturing her lovely lilac gown, right in the torso, allowing blood to cascade downward from her chest and soil the outfit completely. Dani slowly reached for her face with her free hand to wipe some blood spatter away, checked out the smears of red on her fingertips, and, with one last look to Malcolm, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground. Frantically, Malcolm knelt down to check on her. He cradled her head with one hand, but as he went to check her pulse with the other, he found it holding a blood stained scalpel. Stunned, he peered up at Martin who was practically giddy as he proudly cheered, “That’s my boy!” Malcolm tried to toss the scalpel aside, but his hand would not release it. Over and over he tried as he screamed in a panic, “No, no, NO!” _

Malcolm woke with a start, arms held out to his sides by restraints. Panting, he glanced up at the clock on the wall across the room. He learned by now that keeping an alarm clock, or any other object for that matter, on his nightstand was a terrible idea waiting to happen. Night terrors led to flailing, which often led to breaking things within arm’s reach. So, wall-clock it was, oversized with fancy roman numerals and all. His mother’s doing. If it was up to Malcolm, he would go for smaller and simpler, but to Jessica Whitly two things were certain: her son had no taste and bigger was always better. Focusing on the large second hand ticking silently, Malcolm slowed down his breathing. Once he was calm, he could process the actual time. 5:00 am. Hm… a whole five hours of sleep. Not too shabby. Most people would probably go back to bed for another couple of hours, but not Malcolm. Once he was up, he stayed up. Partly to avoid more nightmares, partly because he was used to being an early riser. Therefore, he found himself in the living room within minutes, listening to the coffee percolate while he fed Sunshine her breakfast and then did his morning yoga. Another thing Malcolm learned over time was that a healthy body led to a healthy mind, so he did his stretches every morning without fail and followed them up with some meditation. His latest nightmare was intense, giving him goosebumps across his skin as echoes of the dream resurfaced in his mind. Martin… Dani… blood… so much blood…. And Malcolm.... 

He tried his best to push the gory images from his mind, to not think about what the dream meant, to just focus on his breathing. In and out. In and out. After fifteen minutes, Malcolm was feeling calmer, and the gooseflesh had receded. Unable to resist the rich aroma, he made his way back to the kitchen to pour a cup of semi-fresh coffee. Sitting at the counter on a wooden stool, he sipped the hot liquid carefully as he read his daily affirmation.

_ I will think of what is possible instead of what isn’t. _

Malcolm sighed, then nodded to the card. It was exactly right. It wasn’t possible for Dr. Whitly to harm Dani, nor was it possible that he would ever stab her himself. Therefore, there was no point in getting worked up over it. What was possible? Working with Dani, movie night with Dani, grabbing a drink with Dani. Just then his cell phone beeped, interrupting his thoughts. Swiping to unlock the screen, Malcolm read a recent text from Dani, inviting him to their favorite diner for breakfast. Malcolm smiled and thought to himself, “ _ Breakfast. Breakfast with Dani was very possible _ .” Not to mention, he would feel much better once he saw her in person. He always did. Checking the time before putting down his phone, Malcolm noted it was about 6:30, and she would have to be at work by 8:00, so Malcolm took a long drag of java then rushed to shower and ready himself for the day.


	2. Chapter Two

Dani usually slept in until 7:00 am on workdays. She was a no muss, no fuss kind of girl, so an hour was more than enough time to get ready and get to work, especially since she only lived three blocks from the precinct. However, for some ungodly reason, her internal clock had her waking up an entire hour before her alarm. Instead of fighting it, Dani sighed and tossed off her covers. If she got up now, she could grab breakfast at Desi’s Diner. They had decent coffee and the world’s best apple cinnamon pancakes. Good enough to make getting up this early worth it. So Dani rose from her bed and grumbled her way to the bathroom. 

After a quick shower, blow drying and styling her hair, and getting dressed in her usual tee-jeans-boots ensemble, Dani shot Malcolm a text. Eating at a restaurant by herself was lonely, and she knew Malcolm well enough by now to know that he would be awake at this hour. Plus, this way she could make sure he eats breakfast, something he failed to do at home most mornings. In his defense, his lack of appetite  _ was  _ trauma induced, but not eating wasn’t healthy nor was his lack of sleep, and though the sleep problem was out of her control, she could damn well make sure he ate a good meal every once in a while. Yes, that was why she invited Malcolm. Dani was being a good friend…  _ and  _ she enjoyed spending time with him. Dani has some serious trust issues. Yet, somehow Malcolm became a fast friend. Actually, he was probably her  _ best  _ friend. Although, she would never admit that to JT, who used to hold that position and as far as he knows still does. It was just different with Malcolm. They clicked in a way she couldn’t quite explain. It was like her low-key attitude balanced out his high strung-ness, and they made each other better, better investigators and better people. Then there was the way Dani could be herself around him without qualm. Probably because Malcolm was such a huge dork that she couldn’t possibly do anything more embarrassing than him. To put it simply, they meshed well.

Malcolm’s reply came instantly, making the corners of Dani’s lips curl upward. He would meet there in thirty. Sending back a quick thumbs up emoji, she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on a little mascara and lip gloss. Afterward, Dani clipped on her badge and holstered her gun, then concealed them both by putting on her leather jacket. Ready for a new day and an enormous stack of pancakes, she headed out into the bustling city that sparkled in the rising sun and enjoyed the comfort of the surrounding chaos while she walked. Dani was definitely a city girl through and through, living for the adventures each day brought, and as she zipped down the sidewalk, dodging pedestrians distracted by their phones, Dani wondered to herself… what would today bring?

**********

Dani sat in a red polyester booth, facing the front, so she knew right away when Malcolm arrived. He wore his usual slicked back hair with a navy suit and gray button-down shirt. No tie, Dani noticed and smirked. Malcolm’s version of casual wear still needed some work, but boy could he wear a suit. It was definitely a good look for him, so she wouldn’t complain, at least not very much.

Malcolm mimicked her smile as he slid in across from her and said, “Hey.”

“Hey.” She returned. “Sleep well?”

“Uh…” He trailed off, unsure if he should tell her about his dream. Deciding against it, he answered vaguely, “about as well as expected.”

Dani nodded silently as the teenage waitress came over. She poured Malcolm a cup of coffee, then topped off Dani’s mug before taking their orders. Apple cinnamon pancakes and a cheese omelet. Once the waitress headed to place the order, the conversation picked up again but changed direction.

“Last night was fun.” Dani told him.

“Yeah, it was.” Malcolm agreed.

“So, now that you know my favorite childhood movie, it makes me wonder…” She began.

“Wonder what?” He retorted with a furrowed brow.

“What’s yours?” Dani asked.

“What’s my what?” Malcolm returned, stalling as best he could.

“Your favorite movie.” Dani repeated. “From when you were a kid.”

“I - I don’t really have one.” He stammered. “I didn’t really like any movies growing up.”

“Not buying it.” She told him. “All kids like movies. It’s a proven fact.”

“Not me. I was more into books.” Malcolm assured.

“Oh, really?” Dani replied with a quirk of her brow.

“Yep.” He nodded.

“All right. Fine.” She responded as she leaned back against the booth and retrieved her phone from her jacket pocket.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Malcolm stuttered nervously.

Dani just held up her index finger, indicating for him to wait a moment. Then, suddenly, her voice rang out sweetly, “Hey, Ains. I have a quick question…”

Eyes widening, he tried to grab her phone, but with the table and ceramic mugs of coffee in the way, it made the task difficult.

She easily swatted him away and finished, “What was Malcolm’s favorite childhood movie? Uh huh… really? Okay. Thanks. Talk to you later.” Disconnecting the call, Dani pocketed her phone then took a long drag of her coffee.

Malcolm was waiting for her to say something. When she didn’t, he spoke up and said, “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?”

“Nope… though I do want to ask you one question.” Dani answered, then paused for a beat before continuing, “Do you… believe in fairies?”

He stifled a smile and nodded, “Go ahead. Laugh it up. Just promise me you won’t tell the team.”

She cracked a grin, “Come on, Malcolm. Have a little faith, a little trust, a little... pixie dust.”

Malcolm chuckled at her words and just shook his head in response. After a moment, he retorted, “Yes, I had an affinity for Peter Pan. Can you blame me? I had an overbearing mother and a serial killer father. A world without parents sounded pretty good.”

“Point taken.” Dani relented. “I suppose when life forces you to grow up as fast as you did, it’s nice to dream of a place where you can be young and innocent forever.”

“Yeah, it is.” Malcolm mumbled, then more clearly added, “Though to be honest, I liked the film even before all that. Flying and fighting pirates is just plain awesome.”

“Hell yeah, it is,” Dani agreed. “I mean until you jump out of a window covered in glitter and give yourself a broken arm.”

“You didn’t…” He responded in disbelief, tone dripping with amusement.

“Oh, but I did. You weren’t the only Peter Pan fan.” She told him. “In my defense though, it was a first-floor window, and I didn’t think the fall would hurt me that badly if my pixie dust failed.”

“Ainsley tried that once, the flying.” Malcolm noted. “She tried to jump off the upstairs balcony and nearly gave my mother a heart attack.”

“Not you though?” Dani questioned. “Little Malcolm too smart for that?”

“Of course, it goes against the laws of gravity.” He told her, ready to jump into a scientific lecture. Seeing a smirk play on her lips, he realized this wasn’t the time nor the audience for a lecture and held back his word vomit by taking a sip of coffee. As the warm liquid coated his throat and swirled in his stomach, he collected himself then continued, “Plus, I never really liked Peter Pan himself. He was kind of a jerk. Not someone I was interested in imitating.”

“Let me guess, you were more of a Lost Boy?” She retorted knowingly. 

“In every sense of the word.” Malcolm nodded. 

Before Dani could respond, the waitress was back with their orders. The conversation lulled a bit as they ate their breakfast. Well, Dani ate and enjoyed every delicious bite of the fluffy goodness that was tart from the apple but sweet from the cinnamon. It was utterly sublime. Malcolm mostly stabbed at his omelet, but, after a pointed no nonsense look from Dani, he ate a bit too. He always ate more than usual when she was around. It might be silly, but he didn’t want to disappoint her. More than that, he wanted to prove that he could be normal every once in a while. 

Dani had a few pieces of pancake left and Malcolm’s meal was half gone when her phone rang. Wiping the excess syrup off her mouth and hands, she picked up the phone on the fourth ring.

Malcolm watched Dani intently as she spoke abruptly, “Hey, Gil. Okay, yeah, on my way. Don’t worry, Bright’s with me. I’ll let him know.” She disconnected the call then met Malcolm’s gaze and said, “Looks like we’ve caught a case. Let’s go, Lost Boy.”

It was Malcolm’s turn to pay, so as he fished a few bills from his wallet and slapped them on the table, he queried with a furrowed brow, “Really? Lost Boy?”

“Would you prefer Wonder Boy?” Dani asked teasingly as she slid out of the booth, alluding to  _ her _ favorite Disney movie this time. 

“That’s actually substantially better, but let’s just stick with Bright.” He replied matter-of-factly before revealing a small grin. 

“Fine.” She agreed with mock reluctance as she walked past him.

Following her out, Malcolm inquired, “So where is the crime scene? 

“NYU. Carlyle Court.” Dani informed him.

“I’ll drive.” He retorted. Then, as he opened the door for her, he wondered aloud, “What’s the best route to get there?”

“Oh, just turn at the second star to the right and head straight on til morning.” She quipped, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder as she brushed by. 

“Very funny. You’re not gonna make these references in front of the team though right?” When Dani kept walking and didn’t respond, Malcolm chased after her and repeated firmly, “ _ Right _ ? Dani…”

As the door swung closed and they headed toward Malcolm’s car parked along the curb, he no longer thought about his nightmare, only about the facetious brunette at his side and the thrill of solving a new murder, two of his favorite distractions. 


	3. Chapter Three

As Malcolm entered the cramped dorm room, his wingtips sounded against the dingy linoleum floor. It was as he expected, with cheap wooden furnishings set up on each side of the room to mirror each other. There were two twin beds, one on each side of the large window across the room. At the bottom of each bed, a desk sat perpendicular up against the wall. On the other side of the desks were five-drawer, tall dressers. Lastly, on the back wall lay an oversized shared closet and the main door to the room that he just entered through. It was clear to Malcolm that this room was occupied by boys given the posters of cars, video games, and scantily clad women adorning the walls. It reminded him of his boarding school days and a wave of nostalgia rushed over him, eliciting a small smile that fell all too quickly when his eyes landed on the boy who lay bloody in the twin bed with Medical Examiner Edrisa Tanaka at his side assessing the matter of death.

“What have we got?” Malcolm said he walked toward her.

“Tanner Pope. Sophomore. Political science major.” Gil answered from across the room.

“Wait… Pope?” Dani queried, suddenly realizing why the boy seemed familiar. “As in Senator Pope?”

JT, who was now behind them leaning against the doorway, spoke up, “His oldest son. He was being groomed to follow in his father’s political footsteps.”

“That’s why I called you in, Malcolm.” Gil said. “I’m getting a lot of pressure from above for a quick close, so I want all hands on deck for this one.”

“Sounds like you’re up, Wonderboy.” Dani noted with a pat on his shoulder.

Malcolm ignored her teasing and nodded to Gil as he moved closer to the victim. Coming up beside Edrisa, he studied the young man who lay bloody in a pair of black briefs with his hands bound to the posts of his bed and questioned, “Edrisa, what can you tell us about the cause of death?”

“Uh,” JT cut in. “I thought the gaping hole in his forehead made that pretty obvious.”

Malcolm was about to explain how he didn’t want to assume anything, but Edrisa rushed to his defense first, “A-s-s-u-m-e, to assume makes an ass of you and me. You as in  _ you _ , JT.” She said dryly then looked to Malcolm and blushed, “Not you as in  _ you _ , Bright. It is very astute of you to ask for confirmation from a professional.”

“Thank you, Edrisa.” Malcolm smirked.

“All right, enough of the nerd flirting.” JT interrupted.

“We are not---” Malcolm tried to argue but was cut short.

“Guys! COD?” Dani chimed in, breaking up the awkward conversation to get back to the case at hand.

“Oh, right. Well,” Edrisa began, squatting down to examine the gunshot wound that dripped dried blood down the victim’s light brown, unsuspecting face. “The COD is in fact a gunshot to the head. The smear of blood by the wound indicates our killer used the victim’s blood to draw the red “X” on his chest.”

“Caliber of the weapon?” Gil asked as he stood with arms crossed, trying to process everything.

“Judging by the entrance wound, I’d say a .38 or maybe a .22,” Edrisa answered. “There is no exit wound, so I can be more precise about what we are looking at after the autopsy.”

“I want that bullet ASAP.” Gil told her firmly.

Edrisa nodded, then Dani inquired, “TOD?”

Edrisa took a temperature probe out of her medical bag and inserted it into the victim. After a moment, she pulled it back out, did some quick mental math, and replied, “Based on body temperature, I’d say sometime between 11 and 11:30 last night.”

JT gestured behind him with his thumb and said, “I canvased the hallway when I first got here. No one mentioned hearing any gunshots, and his roommate who found the body claimed he pulled an all-nighter at the library. On all accounts, it was just a normal Monday night.”

“The killer probably used a silencer.” Dani assured. “Without it, there is no way they could have gotten away unseen.

Malcolm nodded and noted, “It’d be easy enough to make.”

“Seriously?” JT wondered out loud.

“Never underestimate the power of a good YouTube tutorial.” Malcolm reaffirmed.

Edrisa jumped in to agree wholeheartedly, “Oh, I once watched this riveting tutorial on how to use licorice to treat corns and calluses and let me tell you--” Just then Gil loudly cleared his throat and gave her a warning glance. Edrisa, feeling more than a little intimidated, stopped her story and went back to her task at hand as she finished her sentence, “the lividity… yes, the lividity tells us Tanner was in this position when he died.” 

“Kinky.” JT retorted.

Malcolm, like the rest of the team, ignored his comment and continued to walk around Edrisa to get a better look at Tanner’s face, “Fascinating, the gunshot to the forehead and the ‘x’ on his chest tell me this was a hit. This was personal and premeditated.” 

“So, you don’t think this had anything to do with the senator or his political enemies?” Gil queried.

“No, I don’t.” Malcolm responded casually as he looked more intently at the victim’s wrists. He was bound with neckties. Removing a ball-point pen from his suit jacket pocket, Malcolm used it to flip the nearest tie over without compromising the evidence. He found three letters stitched into the fabric. “T. A. P.” He read aloud, then questioned, “What’s Tanner’s middle name?”

JT flipped a page in his notebook, then said, “Alexander.”

“So, he was bound with his own tie?” Dani retorted. “Why bring a gun but no zip-ties or rope? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe the killer forgot? Edrisa offered. 

“Or maybe it wasn’t premeditated after all.” JT suggested. “What if the killer just happened to have the gun on them and snapped?”

“That would explain the gunshot,” Dani told him. “but you don’t snap, tie someone up,  _ then  _ kill them.”

“Dani’s right.” Malcolm agreed. “This wasn't the heat of the moment. The killer planned it all out. They got Tanner stripped, bound, and bloodied. They knew exactly what they were doing.”

“I love the way your mind works. What I wouldn’t give for just one scan of that brilliant brain.” Edrisa sighed to herself like an infatuated schoolgirl, causing Malcom to stifle a smile and blush a little at her compliment.

“I get what you're saying,” JT relented. “but Tanner’s a fairly built and capable guy. How was our killer able to overpower him?”

“Drugs? Alcohol? It is a college campus. It’d be fairly easy to get either with the right connections.” Dani pointed out.

“Well, I can run his blood alcohol content level back at the lab, but for now…” Edrisa trailed off, pulling a small flashlight from her bag. With more light, she inspected the victim's arms and then between his toes. “No apparent track marks, but…” Moving back to examine the victim's face, she shined her light up his nose in hopes of trace amounts of drugs. “Nothing. Darn it. I was- wait a sec…”

“What is it?” Malcom asked, crouching closer to watch her pull out some large tweezers.

“There appears to be something in the victim’s mouth.” Edrisa informed them, tone full of confusion. “Here.” She said to Malcolm as she handed over her tool. Malcolm took the tweezers, then Edrisa used her gloved hands to gently open Tanner’s mouth. Once she did, Malcolm pulled out a balled up piece of notebook paper. Edrisa carefully took the paper ball in her hands and slowly opened it up. The paper was moist from saliva, which caused the ink to smear, but Malcolm made out the message easy enough as he read it out loud for everyone to hear. The note read:

_**Mr. Holier Than Thou sat looking down,** _

_**Peddling his sugar grains of brown,** _

_**But though he was busted,** _

_**His surname was trusted,** _

_**So the Defender must cut off his crown** **.** _

“The Defender? So, our killer thinks of himself as a vigilante? Cool.” Edrisa commented, smiling up at Malcolm.

“Perhaps.” Malcolm said reading through the note again silently. 

“A vigilante who writes poems… great. That will be fun to tell the higher ups.” Gil retorted tiredly as he rubbed his temple.

“Technically it’s a limerick.” Malcolm specified, moving back toward the rest of the team, so they could see the small piece of paper. As the gang circled up, he continued, “It follows the a-a-b-b-a rhyme pattern.”

“Technically, it’s creepy.” Dani noted with sass.

“Well, it sounds like a confession to me.” JT chimed in.

“No, not a confession.” Malcolm corrected. “More like a justification for his actions. Listen… ‘Mr. Holier Than Thou sat looking down, peddling his sugar grains of brown…”

“The Pope is the highest ranking member of the catholic church, the holiest man.” Gil said. “So the first line is referencing Tanner Pope himself.”

“Exactly, and pedding sugar grains of brown….” Malcolm went on.

“Drugs!” Edrisa squealed delightedly as she pointed dramatically upward like she was on a game show and just gave the winning answer.

“Brown sugar is the street name for a special type of heroin. Tanner was selling drugs.” Dani elaborated. “Or at least the killer thought so.”

JT added on, “And based on the next couple lines, it sounds like he got caught, but daddy got him out of it.”

“And because Tanner was never properly punished, the killer took matters into his own hands.” Malcolm finished. 

“So, we know he was shot and we know why. We just need the who and the evidence to support it.” Gil affirmed then began barking out orders. “JT, take a team of officers and canvas the rest of the building inside and out. If someone saw anything suspicious I wanna know about it. Powell, you and Bright talk to the president of the university. See if there is any truth to these drug selling allegations against Pope. Edrisa, have CSU tear this place apart while you head back and start the autopsy. In the meantime, I am going to my office to do some damage control.”

“Go team on 3!” Edrisa cheered, putting her fist in the middle of the team circle. “One, two…”

Before she could say three, Gil, JT, and Dani walked away, unamused by the team bonding exercise. As her face fell, Malcolm tapped his fist against hers and half smiled as he spoke softly, “Go team.” 

Edrisa beamed back at him then watched him head after Dani, thinking he really was the greatest guy ever. Then, she got her head in the game and got back to work, readying the body for transport. It was time to catch a killer.


	4. Chapter Four

Dani entered the hallway hastily, more determined than ever to solve this case. She was a big supporter of Senator Pope and everything he stood for. She watched all his press conferences and speeches, remembering his family at his side the whole time during his campaign, Tanner included. Now, to see his son’s life cut short like this was tragic and made a pit form in her stomach. Turning to vent to Malcolm, Dani found him still in the dorm room, chatting with Edrisa and bumping fists. As she watched them, the pit in her stomach tightened with a different emotion, causing her to look away. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen them flirt before, and as a couple, they actually made sense, since they were both dorky, sweet, brilliant people. They meshed well. Flirting was expected. They just shouldn’t be flirting at the scene. Yes, that was what bothered Dani about the situation.

As she tried to convince herself of that fact, Malcolm appeared at her side and said, “Ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Dani replied, avoiding his eyes as she spoke in a tone that was lacking any sort of enthusiasm.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Malcolm asked immediately, stepping in her way.

“Nothing.” Dani retorted quickly then went on to add, “We have a murder to solve, so let’s focus more on the crime at hand and less on flirting, okay?”

“Wait… flirting? You mean with Edrisa?” He queried, completely dumbfounded. “I was  _ not _ flirting.”

“Whatever, it’s not my business. Let’s just go.” She told him.

“Dani, I--” Malcolm started. He didn’t know what to say, luckily they were interrupted, so he didn’t have to say anything.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Said a young college boy, coming up between them. He was over six feet, dark-skinned, well muscled, and wore an NYU hoodie, gym shorts, and brand name sneakers. “When can I get into my room? I need my books.” He added shakily. 

Clearly he was trying to be polite but was shaken by recent events. It was totally understandable, but Malcolm still felt compelled to correct him, “It’s detective.”

“Detective Powell,” Dani elaborated as she extended a hand. “This is my associate, Malcolm Bright. You’re Tanner’s roommate?”

Removing his hand that gripped tightly to the strap of his backpack, the boy shook Dani’s hand then Malcolm’s as he nodded, “Malik Johnson.”

“We’re sorry for your loss, Malik,” Dani said sympathetically. “But right now your room is a crime scene, and you won’t be able to get in until it’s released.”

“Oh, okay. I understand.” Malik replied dejectedly. “I just have midterms coming up and was hoping… nevermind.”

“Well, as a consultant with the police, I suppose  _ I _ could go in and grab a few things for you.” Malcolm offered.

“Really? Thanks.” Malik sighed in relief. “You can just grab the stack of books from my nightstand.”

Malcolm nodded then headed back into the dorm. They watched him enter then saw Edrisa wheel out the body. It was inside a bodybag now, but it was still an eerie sight. 

Hoping to distract him from the view, Dani cleared her throat and said, “So, Malik, were you and Tanner close?”

“Not really.” He answered. “We got along as roommates, but I’m pretty busy with basketball and Tanner focused on academics.”

“Basketball, huh? Let me guess… point guard?” She queried.

Malik smiled, “Yeah. Second string though.” 

“Still pretty impressive.” Dani affirmed.”

“Thanks, but I’m no Kyrie Irving.” He noted, brushing off the compliment.”

She just smiled,”Yeah, but who wants to be Kyrie when you can be Jason Kidd.”

Just then Malcolm returned with five books in hand. Four of them were textbooks for calculus, biology, psychology, and microeconomics. The last was a thick, leatherbound copy of  _ Les Miserables _ . It seemed strange to Malcolm. The novel didn’t seem to belong with any of his classes, but it also didn’t seem like casual reading for a twenty year old college jock. However, there it was, top of the stack with a ribbon style bookmark hanging out of the middle. Maybe there was more to Malik than meets the eye, or maybe not. There’s only one way to find out.

“Here you go.” Malcolm said, handing over the books.

“Thanks.” Malik retorted gratefully, taking the stack into his arms.

At the last moment, Malcolm bumped the stack, purposely knocking the novel off and catching it in his left hand by the spine. “Oops, so sorry.” Then, pretending to notice the cover for the first time, he continued, “Les Miz. Great book, isn’t it.”

“Uh, yeah, it is.” A suddenly stiff Malik tossed back nervously.

Dani noticed the awkward change in conversation, but she trusted Malcolm, so she let him steer the discussion and waited to see what he was up to.

“I see you are about half way through.” Malcolm noted.

“Yep.” Malik swallowed.

“Don’t you just love Hugo’s take on the Belgian underworld? Oh, and what Jean Valjean goes through just for stealing a pair of shoes? Heartbreaking.” Malcolm rambled, clutching his heart for dramatic effect.”

Malik was quiet for a moment then said, “Yeah, totally gut wrenching. Dude just wanted some shoes, you know?”

“Uh, Malcolm, isn’t the story set in France?” Dani questioned knowingly.

“Why, yes, detective, it is,” Malcolm answered before adding, “and Valjean gets arrested for stealing a loaf of bread not shoes.”

Malik pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, visibly deflating as he got caught in his lie.

It was then Malcolm opened the book at it’s marked place. When he did, he found the middle was cut out to create a hidden compartment. In the compartment, he discovered a small plastic bag containing a handful of tiny, circular, white pills. Holding it up for everyone to see, he inquired, “I’m gonna guess Adderall?”

When Malik didn’t respond, Dani spoke up, “We have a reason to believe Tanner was involved with selling drugs. Did you get the pills from him?”

“I don’t know how those got there.” Malik lied.

“Look, Malik,” Malcolm began, “this is a homicide investigation. We are focused on finding a murderer. We can look the other way and forget I ever opened this book, if you just tell us the truth about Tanner’s involvement.”

That caught Malik’s attention, but he needed another push, so Dani tried another angle and said, “You’re the point guard, on the court, it’s your job to put your team first for the greater good, right?” When he nodded, she continued, “Well, now’s your chance to put Tanner first, to tell us what you know, so we can catch his killer. Please, Malik, talk to us… for the greater good.”

Malik sighed, “Okay, I’ll talk… but not here.”

Dani and Malcolm shared a look then nodded in agreement before following Malik down the hall and around the corner to a study room. The room was medium-sized and open with gray and yellow checkered carpet. The far wall held a row of desktop computers and the middle was dotted with yellow tables, some round, some rectangular. There were a few students milling about, eating breakfast and getting an early start on their work. Malik took them to a rectangular table in the back corner, away from wandering eyes and curious ears.

Once they sat and Malik pushed his books to the side, Malcolm said calmly, “Okay, tell us about the pills.”

Malik took a deep breath then revealed the truth, “It’s like I said before, Tanner was cool for a roommate, but we ran in different circles, had different schedules, barely ever saw each other. Then, one day my schedule changed. Practice was cancelled, and I came back to the room early. Tanner was in here with some girl, real pretty.”

“She was buying drugs from him.” Dani gathered.

Malik nodded then continued, “After the girl left, Tanner played it real cool. He offered me any product of my choosing. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut. The last thing I needed was to get mixed up in a drug scandal, so I agreed to his terms.”

“So, you kept his secret, and he gave you the adderall.” Malcolm said knowingly.

“Yeah, I heard it could help you focus and stay awake. Since my classes are harder this year and my basketball schedule is crazier than ever, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but I could never bring myself to actually use the drugs. Malik paused then went on to explain, “My brother overdosed on heroin when I was fourteen. His death hit my whole family hard. I couldn’t risk putting them through that again just because I was struggling in a few courses. So, I left the pills in the book, got a tutor, and pulled all-nighters every weekend until I got my grades up. I pulled one of my all-nighter’s last night to work on a lit paper due and found Tanner when I got back to the dorm this morning.”

“I’m so sorry about your brother,” Dani told him as she placed her hand over his that lay clasped together on the table. “I lost my father when I was a teenager, so I know sharing this isn’t easy for you. We really appreciate your honesty.”

“So, what happens now?” Malik wondered aloud.

“First, we are gonna confiscate the drugs. Then, we are going to pretend we found them on our own and leave you out of it.” Malcolm assured.

Malik sighed in relief, “Thank god. Take the whole book. I don’t want anything to do with Tanner’s business.”

“Wait, he gave you the book too?” Malcolm queried.

“Yeah, that was Tanner’s way of delivering his product.” Malik told them. 

Dani and Malcolm immediately locked gazes and Dani said firmly, “We need to get back in that dorm.”

“I have a feeling Tanner’s library will be very informative.” Malcolm nodded.

With that, they bid Malik a thank you and goodbye and headed back down the hall. Once they passed the message along to CSU to check out all the books in the room, the pair made their way out of the building. Next stop, Dr. Henry Crenshaw, President of New York University.

**********

The drive to the other side of campus was quiet as Malcolm drove and Dani stared thoughtfully out the window. She couldn’t wrap her head around Tanner Pope selling narcotics. Senator Pope was a huge proponent of the war on drugs. How could his son be so opposite? While Dani pondered this, Malcolm drove on until he pulled into the parking lot in front of an office building. Turning off the car, he watched as she reached for the door handle.

“Wait.” Malcolm blurted, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Dani stilled then turned to look at him, waiting expectantly for him to continue.

“Are we okay?” He asked concernedly, then brought his hand to rest on his lap. “Back there at the dorm, you seemed angry with me. I’m sorry if I did anything to upset you.”

She sighed, “No, I’m the one who should apologize. I overreacted. Let’s just forget it ever happened, okay?” Dani knew she was in the wrong, but she wasn’t ready to admit why she acted the way she did. Not to him. Not to herself. It was easier to just brush it off and move on. Hopefully, Malcolm would be content with that too.

“Okay,” He said simply. “but, you know, if you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.”

“I know.” Dani smiled softly.

Malcolm grinned back then reached for his own door. This time  _ she  _ stopped  _ him _ .

“Actually there is one thing.” Dani noted. “Why do you think Tanner sold drugs? He didn’t need the money and his father was known to be emphatically against the drug trade. I just don’t get it.”

He shrugged, “Could be a lot of reasons. Maybe it was his way of rebelling against the life that was laid out for him, or it was his way of creating his own identity. The truth is we may never know for sure why he did it, but we do know it got him killed. Hopefully, the president will be able to tell us who’s behind it.”

Dani nodded solemnly, “You’re right, let’s go.” As her determination returned, she realized that maybe being more like his father would have saved Tanner’s life, but sometimes sons being different from their fathers was a good thing, a very good thing. The man next to her was proof of that.

Together, they finally exited the vehicle and entered the large red brick building. Going up the stone steps and through the double doors, they headed into the busy lobby and checked in at the front desk. The secretary made a quick call, then, after being given the go ahead, she pointed Malcolm and Dani to the elevator. Following the secretary’s instructions, they took the elevator to the fourth and top floor, turned right, and continued to the door at the end of the hall. The gold plate on the door informed them they were in the right place. Malcolm waved a hand, silently stepping back for Dani to take the lead. With a nod she knocked on the door. The door opened inward after a moment, revealing an older gentleman in an expensive dark suit and bold purple tie. The man offered a polite smile and welcomed them in, already aware they were police thanks to his secretary. Heading toward the offered seats in the upholstered chairs across from the large mahogany desk, Dani and Malcolm introduced themselves.

“I’m Detective Powell. This is my associate, Malcolm Bright.” Dani greeted.

“President Henry Crenshaw. Nice to meet you.” He returned, glancing briefly at both of them, but only making the effort to shake Malcolm’s hand before heading around the desk to his overstuffed throne of a chair.

“We are here to ask you some questions about the murder of Tanner Pope.” She told him matter-of-factly, giving him a onceover. He had to be in his late fifties at least, judging by the bald spot he donned surrounded by a halo of salt and pepper hair that was heavy on the salt. He was a fairly lean man but sat with an heir of superiority that said don’t dare to challenge him. _ This should be fun. _ Dani thought with a mental roll of her eyes.

Removing his thin rimmed, rectangular eyeglasses, he sighed dramatically, “It’s such a shame what happened to that young man. So much potential now wasted.”

“So, Tanner was a good student?” Dani asked.

Looking at Malcolm, Crenshaw answered, “Oh, yes. One of the best and brightest at this university. Just like his father before him.”

“That’s interesting because it’s come to our attention that Tanner recently got in trouble for selling drugs on campus.” She responded coolly.

“That’s preposterous.” He told Malcolm. “I don’t know who would say such a thing.”

“We found a note from the killer accusing Tanner of selling narcotics. Another student in the dorm confirmed it.” Dani informed him, growing more peeved by the second as she talked to this misogynistic asshole.

Crenshaw brushed it off, then, looking over his glasses to Dani, he sneered down at her and said, “You’ve clearly made a mistake. Women often do.”

“Actually, Detective Powell is one of the best detectives I know with one of the top closing rates in the precinct.” Malcolm defended, feigning politeness as he balled his hands into fists at his sides, trying his best to remain diplomatic and not punch this prick in the face.

“He’s right. I am good at my job.” Dani noted firmly but calmly. “So good that my team and I found drugs in Tanner’s dorm. So good that I’ve linked them to Tanner himself. So good that I noticed the new top of the line computers in the study room at Carlyle, recently bought with a donation from Senator Pope I presume.” Dani noticed his eyes narrowed and face paled, both of which told her she was on the right track, so she continued, “I think Tanner got in trouble for selling drugs and his dad paid you off to look the other way. Didn’t he Dr. Crenshaw?”

“A quick check at the university’s financial department should be very telling.” Malcolm noted.

Reluctantly, the president finally spoke, eyes burning holes into Dani’s, “That won’t be necessary. Yes, there  _ was  _ an accusation against Tanner for selling drugs a couple months ago, but no hard proof was found. Afterward, Senator Pope did make a donation to the university, but only to give thanks to his alma mater for treating the situation so delicately.”

“Right. And the student who accused Tanner? Do you have their name?” Dani questioned.

“No, like I said it was months ago. All I remember is it was some silly girl.” He offered.

“Do you have a copy of the report?” Malcolm inquired.

“One was never officially filed.” Crenshaw retorted.

“Why not?” Dani asked quizzically.

“I didn’t find it pertinent. Tanner had an impeccable record. I saw no need to spoil it because some girl had a foul mouth. I see it all too often, girls getting rejected by promising young men and making false claims in return out of spite. You know how dramatic the fairer sex can be.” Crenshaw explained, directing that last part at Malcolm. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got a meeting to go to.” He added dismissively, ready to be done with this interrogation.

“Of course.” Dani smiled without sincerity. “We will be back if we have any more questions. Don’t leave town.” And by “we” Dani met Malcolm and JT because she was so over dealing with this lying douchebag.

Crenshaw nodded but didn’t walk them out, not that either of them wanted him too. In fact, they couldn’t get away from him fast enough as they made their way back down the hall. Once back inside the elevator, Dani let out some calming breaths. During the ride down, Malcolm said, “Nice job in there.”

“How so? We got nothing but lies and a dead end.” She remarked annoyedly. “I bet if a male student had accused Tanner, he would have had a report filed.”

“Probably, but you got him rattled and now we know Tanner  _ did  _ get in trouble. We should also subpoena those financials to verify that donation. If we prove it’s there, maybe we can use it against the Senator and get him to shed some light on the matter.”

“Maybe.” Dani nodded. Just then the elevator dinged and let them out into the lobby. Once they were outside, she stopped by the edge of the steps and breathed in the fresh air. Feeling much better, she looked to Malcolm who started to move forward and grabbed his hand, causing him to stop and peer over at her. “Malcolm, I… I just wanted to say thanks for having my back in there.” She added sweetly, enjoying the warmth of his hand in hers and the pulse of electricity that seemed to dance between their palms.

Malcolm smiled brightly and squeezed her hand as he replied, “Always.”

They stood there for a moment longer until Dani broke the silence and their hands, saying, “All right, wonderboy, let’s head back to the precinct. Hopefully, the rest of the team had better luck than we did.”

Unfortunately, they didn’t. JT and the officers didn’t find any other witnesses, Edrisa’s autopsy didn’t yield anything else helpful, and though the crime scene unit did find more books in the dorm containing an array of drugs and a ledger of his sales on his laptop, Tanner wrote using initials and other shorthand, so figuring out the actual buyers was going to be difficult, if possible at all. Yes, there appeared to be dead ends all around. That is, until the next morning when the case took a turn for the worse.


	5. Chapter Five

Malcolm felt an all encompassing sense of Deja vu as he walked into a first floor dorm in Palladium Hall. The dorm had the same linoleum floor and cinder block walls as the one in Carlyle Court. However, this one was set up as a single room. On one half of the room held not one but two desks and multiple computer monitors and a small couch with a flat-screen TV and every gaming console you could think of. Clearly the resident of this room was a techie… and a fan of soccer, judging by the soccer ball and gym bag on the floor next to the desk and the posters of Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas adorning the walls. It was the other half of the room that really Grabbed Malcolm’s attention. It contained a full-sized mahogany framed bed with matching side tables on each side (clearly brought in from outside the university) and a body of a young man laying in the middle, stripped down to his boxers, hands bound to the bed posts, and a red “X” on his chest.

“Who is he?” Malcolm asked sullenly, hating to see another young life cut short.

JT cleared his throat and answered, “Adrian De La Rosa, computer genius, soccer star, and son of Alejandro and Valentina De La Rosa, one of the most powerful couples on Wall Street. Gil went to notify them before his name hits the press. The Defender note got leaked last night and reporters have been swarming campus all morning. We’ve managed to keep them out of the building so far, but it’s only a matter of time before they get Adrian’s name.”

Malcolm nodded then moved closer to examine the body and said, “Good morning, Edrisa.”

“It is now.” She replied a little breathily before collecting herself and speaking more clearly, “I- I mean… COD appears to be the same as Tanner. Single gunshot to the head. And according to my handy dandy liver probe, his death occurred around midnight last night.

Moving around her, Malcolm pulled a pen from the breast pocket of his navy jacket and poked at the material fastened around Adrian’s wrists. “White nylon rope. The killer is escalating.”

“Yeah I got that from the second body.” JT retorted wryly.

Standing up straight and putting the pen back in its place, Malcolm stifled a smile and responded, “I meant that our killer is perfecting their methodology. He is coming more prepared, which tells me he’s just getting started.” Suddenly a thought struck Malcolm. “Was there a note?”

“I was just about to check.” Edrisa noted, grabbing her metal tweezers. “Would you like to do the honors, she asked hopefully, loving when they bonded through their work. Malcolm obliged and even though she wore gloves, her heart soared when his hand brushed against hers. She made a few mental notes of the smoothness of his skin, the firmness of his grip, and the overall beauty of his hands, so she could retell the moment perfectly in tonight’s blog post. Her readers from the crime interweb would die. Pushing her excitement down, Edrisa tried to keep calm and cool as she retrieved the slimy paper ball from Malcolm and opened it up. Swallowing nervously, she took a breath then read the killer’s words aloud.

**********

Dani came on the scene the same time as JT. Having seniority, he instructed Dani to interview their only witness, Olivia Caldwell. She found the body this morning and also happened to be Adrian’s girlfriend. Dani found the girl sitting in fetal position against a nearby wall. She wore booties, a pink floral dress, and a dark wash jean jacket with a pink and green skull cap that had greek letters etched on the side. Her long strawberry blonde hair flowed effortlessly down her back. The look was impeccable save for the bags under stormy blue eyes and mascara running down her cheeks.The girl looked utterly destroyed. Dani felt for her. She was about to approach the young woman when a voice caught her attention, causing her to look over her shoulder.

“Careful! It’s hot.” Officer Troy Lipnicki scolded his partner who bumped into his arm. Troy went to the academy the same time as Dani. They were friends who watched the occasional basketball game together at the local cop bar. They even hooked up once. However, due to his ego and temper, neither their relationship nor his career got very far. Every once in a while though, he made himself useful. Like right now for example.

Dani grinned as she walked over then queried, “Have you drank from that yet?”

“Not yet. I was letting it cool.” He replied.

“Perfect. My witness could use a pick me up… you mind?” She noted with a nod in Olivia’s direction.

Troy glanced over briefly then smirked at Dani, “Depends, what’s in it for me?”

Dani rolled her eyes. There always had to be something in it for him. Another one of his flaws. He was definitely a cop for the glory not for the people. However, he always got justice one way or another. She’d give him props for that. Unfortunately, he used that tenacity against her, always trying for that second date. So, she was not surprised one bit when he went on to add, “Maybe a date? I know this fancy italian place. The food is amazing. I’ll let you get anything you want.”

“You know what I want, Troy?” She smiled, stepping a bit closer. He took a step in too, eagerly waiting for her to finish, but was left surprised when Dani answered, “this coffee!” and slid the beverage right out of his hand, leaving him with just the coffee collar between his fingers.

Troy, the bronze adonis, just shook his head in amusement and watched her ass as she walked away.

Turning back around, Dani became serious once more and made her way over to the grieving blonde. Squatting down to be eye level with the girl, Dani introduced herself, “Hi, Olivia. I’m Detective Powell.”

Olivia responded by shaking her hand, but said nothing.

Offering the coffee, Dani questioned, “Is there some place we can talk?”

Olivia stared at her for a moment, sniffed, then nodded. Grabbing the coffee as she stood, the girl headed down the hall three doors into a study room, looking very similar to the one from yesterday. Olivia sat on a nearby loveseat, holding the to go cup in both hands, thumbs aimlessly rubbing against the cardboard, up and down.

Dani sat next to her and, after a long quiet moment, finally spoke, “I’m sorry about Adrian. How did you two meet?”

“My twin brother, Max, is on the soccer team with Adrian. The team had a party freshman year, and my brother invited me along. I was just hanging out with some friends, then Adrian and I locked eyes, and it was like everyone else disappeared. We talked, he taught me to play beer pong, and the rest was history.” Olivia explained as a tear trailed down her cheek.

“Sounds like he was a good guy.” Dani surmised.

Olivia smiled sadly, “The best. He was amazing on the soccer field and so incredibly smart. He was always on his computers doing things I couldn’t begin to understand. He was sweet too. God, was he sweet. De La Rosa is spanish for “of the rose” and once a week, never at the same time, but, at some point every week, he would surprise me with a single red rose.” 

At that, the girl broke down into full on sobbing. Dani scooted closer and put an arm around her, letting Olivia cry on her shoulder for a minute. When the crying died down and her body shook only ever so slightly, she inquired, “Do you know anyone that would want to hurt Adrian?”

Olivia took a long drag of coffee, letting the warm liquid coat her throat. Then, she took a deep breath and answered, “Adrian  _ was  _ the best, but… he wasn’t perfect. He used his computers to hack the university and steal test answers.”

“I thought he was smart. Why would he cheat?” Dani wondered aloud.

“He didn’t. He was a pro at balancing soccer with academics.” Olivia confirmed. “His teammates not so much. Adrian would give the answers to the guys who were at risk of academic probation. God forbid, they crack a book.”

“I take it, you didn’t approve.” Dani noted.

“No, I was  _ livid  _ when I found out, but I kept his secret.” She paused a moment then shrugged, “I loved him… and I knew, in his own misguided way, he was just trying to help the team.” Shaking her head in disbelief, another tear fell as she scolded herself. “I should have stopped him, I should have talked him out of it. If I had, maybe, just maybe--

“Hey, look at me…” Dani trailed off until she had Olivia’s full attention. Then, looking her in her glistening baby blues, she gave the girl’s wrist a squeeze and affirmed, “This was not your fault… or Adrian’s. There is only one person to blame, and my team and I are going to catch him.”

She nodded, letting more tears fall as she tried to convince herself the detective's words were true.

Meanwhile, Dani pushed just a little further, “Olivia, this very important. Did Adrian ever get caught stealing answers by anyone else?”

“Word got around to some other students. They offered to pay him for his...um… services. He said no though. It was just a favor he did for the soccer players.” Olivia elaborated between sniffles.

“Did any of them file a complaint against Adrian?” Dani asked. “To the authorities? Or maybe the University President.” She added quickly.

“Not that I know of. I’m sorry I’m not more helpful.” She apologized.

Dani brushed off her words immediately and moved her hand to her shoulder as she affirmed, “You did great.”

Olivia nodded, unable to speak. Before Dani could say another word, a voice interrupted, “OMG, Liv! There you are!” Looking at the door, an asian girl with long dark hair stood teary eyed, the somber expression forming a dent in her tough girl aesthetic that was created by her bright blue highlights and nose ring. She ran into the room, pulling Olivia into a tight hug. Another round of sobbing ensued. 

Feeling a little awkward and like Miss Caldwell had been through enough, Dani gave the friends some privacy, sneaking out to check on what the team had learned from the latest crime scene but not before leaving her card on the couch next to Liv, just in case she thought of something else or maybe just wanted to talk.

Dani entered the dorm just in time as Edrisa began to read the latest cryptic message for all to hear…

**There was a Rose whose odor was rancid**

**But he sprouted from a garden that was enchanted**

**So the seeds of knowledge he looted**

**Could not get him booted**

**So by the Defender the punishment was handed.**

“What do you think it means?” JT questioned with a furrowed brow.

“I think I can answer that.” Dani interjected then moved in closer to the gang as she recapped her conversation with Olivia.

The corners of Malcom’s lips immediately turned upward at the sound of her voice. He may have been standing next to a dead body, trying to solve a tragic and gruesome case, but Malcolm just couldn’t help but smile at her presence. Dani had a way of making him feel at ease, like everything would be okay, like the weight of the world wasn’t on his shoulders, and he could definitely use that reassurance right now.

“So, Tanner sold drugs, and Adrian sold test answers.” Edrisa restated the facts.

“Technically, Adrian gave the answers away. There was no money exchanged.” Dani corrected, crossing her arms casually.

“Still, it speaks to victimology.” Edrisa retorted. “Good boys doing bad things…”

“And getting killed for it.” JT added. “With that and the same set up down to the red X, it looks like we’ve got a serial killer on our hands.”

“Technically, it’s not a serial killer until there’s  _ three  _ bodies,” Malcolm amended. “but , yeah, I’d say it’s headed that way.”

“Not if we can help it.” Dani chimed in emphatically. “All we have to do is find a connection between the victims.”

“I thought the connection was a bullet to the head?” JT asked dryly.

“It is, but Dani is right… there’s got to be more than just the crime scenes and their actions bringing these two together.” Malcolm responded unequivocally. “Lot’s of college aged kids make bad decisions. So, why were  _ these  _ two boys punished?”

The question hung in the air for a long moment until JT spoke up, “Well, we know Tanner was a sophomore, Poli-Sci major who was big on academics  _ and  _ drugs.”

“And we now know Adrian is a junior, Computer Science major who likes soccer and hacking.” Dani noted.

“Maybe the drugs are the connection?” Edrisa offered. “Adrian could have hacked Tanner’s virtual ledger, maybe threatened to expose him?”

“Or he could have bought some performance enhancing drugs from Tanner.” JT suggested. “He clearly has a habit of doing questionable favors for his teammates, and it wouldn’t be the first time a college athlete doped up to win a game.”

“Both options are possible, but not plausible without any hard evidence. Let’s search the room.” Malcolm instructed. “I’ll see what I can find on Adrian’s computer. You guys check out his books.”

“And I’ll get back to you, Robert Lewan-dead-ski.” Edrisa retorted with a small chuckle at her own joke. When the rest of the team just looked at her, she blurted, “What? I like the Poland National team.”

With that, the gang smirked, shook their heads, and got to work. Some people might have been offended by Dr. Tanaka’s comment, but none of them were. They knew Edrisa well enough by now to know that humor was how she coped and kept sane dealing with death all the time. Well, humor and fan-girling over Malcolm Bright, profiler extraordinaire.

While Dani, JT, and Malcolm got busy searching for clues, Edrisa began processing the nylon rope that bound Adrians wrists. She swabbed them thoroughly, hoping they may just get lucky and find some epithelial cells left behind. Placing the swab into a plastic bag for protection, she put into her medical bag then pulled out her scissors. Delicately, Edrisa cut the ropes off and bagged them as evidence, one by one.

Malcolm wasn’t having much luck on the computers. Most of Adrian’s files were encrypted. The rest seemed unimportant as far as he could tell. He was about to check the recycle bin for good measure when he heard a clacking noise. It was not that loud or alarming, but the noise that came next was.

“Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright!” Edrisa exclaimed.

JT and Dani snapped their heads to look at her, looking confused. Malcolm, so entranced by the computer, jumped out of his skin at her sudden outburst, nearly having a heart attack. With a palm to his chest he turned slowly in her direction and stared as well.

With all eyes on her once more, Edrisa blushed, “Sorry, I dropped my scissors, and when I picked them up I found this book under the bed, and I got so excited.”

Staring at the purple hardcover book in the dainty coroner’s hand, JT inquired, “Did you find drugs inside?”

“Better… poems!” Edrisa squealed.

“Right.” JT remarked sarcastically.

“Edrisa that’s… that’s really fascinating, but uh….” Malcolm trailed off, trying to put his words nicely.”

“Is there a point?” Dani finished abruptly. “Because we should stay focused and keep working unless there is a particular reason for your little outburst?”

“Is there a reason? Of course there’s a reason.” Edrisa said exasperatedly then smiled like a giddy school girl. “Actually there’s two.”

“Okay....”Dani replied with a small grin, drawing out the word as it left her mouth. “And they are?”

“Well, first, William Blake is an amazing poet and deserves to be read with such emotion. Believe you me.” Edrisa defended.

“And the second reason?” JT probed, already regretting asking.

Edrisa sighed at her friends’ dismissive attitudes then explained, “I noticed the same book yesterday… in  _ Tanner’s  _ room.

Suddenly, everyone became very interested in the book and flocked to her sides to get a better look. Malcolm got there first and gently took the book from Edrisa then flipped through the pages. 

“No drugs or anything else out of the ordinary that I can tell.” Malcolm informed them.

“Well, I find it hard to believe these popular, cool guys are into old school poetry.” JT said knowing better. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

“ _ I’m _ into old school poetry.” Malcolm noted.

“Now,  _ that  _ makes sense.” JT gibed.

“I think what JT is saying…” Dani cu in. “is it is too coincidental. They have to have the same class, an if we find that class...”

“We may just find our killer.” Malcolm smiled then rushed back to the computer. He was no computer whiz, but he knew enough to get into Adrian’s account on the university website. After a few clicks, the boy’s schedule blinked into view. Skimming the list, Malcolm cross-checked it against the mental picture he took of Tanner’s that he had stumbled across yesterday on his desk. “Creative writing.” He blurted. “They may not have a lot in common, but they chose the same elective.”

“Probably thought they could get an easy A.” JT surmised.

“Or they wanted to enrich themselves with the beauty of words.” Edrisa tossed back, still fighting for her man, Blake.

“Either way, we need to talk to that Professor.” Dani asserted.

“I want to be there when we do.” Malcolm said forcefully.

“Dani, one of us can go with Bright.” TJ told her. “The other should check in with the university president and verify if a complaint was filed against Adrian.”

“Bright. I’ll go with Bright.” She responded hastily.  _ A thousand times Bright _ . Dani thought to herself. No way would she subject herself to that prick two days in a row… or ever again. It’s too bad you can’t arrest someone for being an asshole. 

“Fine. We can meet up at the precinct after and get Gil up to speed.” JT proposed.

Nodding in confirmation, Malcolm and Dani headed out the way they came. As they walked, Dani spotted Troy leaning against the wall with two coffees in hand. When she closed the distance he moved into her path and flashed his million dollar smile that made all women swoon. All women except Dani.

“Thought you could use a pick me up, detective.” He purred.

“Thanks.” Dani said with a smirk, taking the coffee solely to be polite.

“I hope you enjoy it. It’s dark, smooth, and sweet… just like me.” Troy winked.

She immediately rolled her eyes, “Really? You just had to go and ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee.”

He chuckled, “All right, go ahead, play hard to get. I know I’m wearing you down.”

“Only my patience.” She smiled back.

“You wound me.” He feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart. “I know how you can make it up to me though…” 

“Goodbye, Troy.” Dani sang as she nudged Malcolm forward by the shoulder and followed behind him.

Malcolm walked toward the exit, feeling more confused than ever. Was Dani flirting with that guy or rejecting him? Maybe both? Clearly, there was some kind of history there. Dani had never mentioned dating an officer though or anyone else for that matter, which was fine because he didn’t talk about his exes either, not that there were many. So, why did this Troy guy bother him so much? Why did their banter make him feel instantly twitchy and agitated?

As they stepped outside into the cool fall morning, Malcolm began to relax a little. Then a little more when they reached the bottom of the stone steps, and he saw Dani throw the grande sized to-go cup into the nearby garbage receptacle. It didn’t just relax him but also made him smile.

“Not going to drink that?” He queried.

“Nope. He always gets me his order… mocha latte with four sugars and a dash of cinnamon.” She explained, making a disgusted face. “Too sweet.”

“Ah, but you prefer black coffee with the occasional squirt of caramel for flavor.” Malcolm nodded in understanding. “Not too sweet but not too bitter either.”

Dani bit her lip then smiled as she replied, “Exactly.”

They smiled at each other for a moment as they waited by the curb for the light to change and the crosswalk figure to appear, telling them they could walk freely. A guy on a motorcycle zoomed by a few seconds later, hitting the edge of a puddle left over from the early morning rain shower. Unfortunately for Dani, who had her back to the road as she stared at Malcolm who was a couple steps back, she was doused with the splash. Dirty water now dripped from her jacket, which was okay because it was leather and the water would slide right off, and it would dry soon enough. Dani’s blouse wasn’t so lucky though as it hung below the hem of her jacket. The white material that rested against her backside was now splattered in a dingy brown mess. For a second, she panicked. She didn’t want to interview people looking like this. It was so embarrassing. However, there was no time to change either.  _ Perfect. Just freaking perfect.  _ Dani grumbled to herself as she removed her coat and gave it a shake.

“Here,” Malcolm spoke suddenly, quickly removing his khaki polyester trench coat without a second thought and swapping it with hers. Holding the leather jacket at his side, he watched as she put it on and rolled up the sleeves to improve the fit. The hem of Malcolm’s coat covered her shirt and then some. Problem solved. Dani was beyond grateful for the rescue. Not to mention it was such a thoughtful gesture.

“Thanks for the save.” She grinned coyly then a thought struck her. “But what about you? What if it rains again?”

Malcolm returned her smile, happy he could help and shrugged, “I’ll get wet.”

Just then the light changed and the walking signal lit up. Malcolm pointed this out with a nod of his head and said, “Let’s go. We’ve got a professor to interrogate.” Casually slinging her jacket over his shoulder, he began to cross the street with Dani in tow who found herself thinking about the last time a guy ever did something so sweet for her. The answer was never. Malcolm Bright was truly one of a kind.


	6. Chapter Six

About 20 minutes later, Dani and Malcolm found themselves in the department building designated to literature and English professors. Using the information from Adrian’s schedule, they easily found the name and office of the creative writing professor. Standing outside the locked door and darkened office window, it was clear Dr. Alek Chapman was out at the moment. Luckily for them, the professor left a schedule taped to his door. Checking the time on his watch, Malcolm returned his gaze to the schedule and skimmed the list of classes he had today. According to the list, Dr. Chapman was upstairs in room 212 teaching British Literature 1 and would be there for another 5 minutes. Not wanting to miss him, the pair made their way over to the elevator and up to 212. Entering quietly, they found themselves in a small auditorium style room set up to accommodate 60 students max.

Dani was surprised to find every seat was filled. At least she was until her eyes landed on the professor in question. He was in his early forties at most and stood about 6’2” with a lean stature, black wavy chin length hair, a matching goatee, and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. The real kicker though was the British accent he supported. Clearly he was from across the pond. Dani flicked her eyes across the room, noticing all the girls and a few guys gushing over him. However, between his accent and the passion in voice for his subject as he talked, the professor clearly entranced everyone. Looking to Malcolm, he was no exception, already getting caught up in Dr. Chapman’s speech on Virginia Woolf. Stepping further into the room, the professor finally noted their presence. When his eyes met Dani’s, she pushed her borrowed trench coat to the side, revealing the badge clipped to her belt. Understanding crossing his face, he smiled casually to his students and said, “We’ll end here for today. Your essays are due next Friday at 11 pm. Don’t forget.”

With that, the class began packing up, and Malcolm and Dani made their way over to the proof. After brief introductions and handshakes, Dr. Chapman looked pained as he said, “My word, I heard about Tanner, but I didn’t know Adrian…  _ bloody hell _ .” He paused a moment, leaning back against his teacher’s desk in surprise, then continued. “How terrible. I’m not sure I will be able to help much, but I’d be glad to give it a go. What is it you want to know exactly?”

“You have both boys in your creative writing class.” Malcolm noted.

“Yes, that’s correct.” The professor confirmed. “An hour and a half every Tuesday and Thursday.”

“That’s a long period of time to sit with them.” Dani commented and then probed, “What can you tell us about them?”

Chapman sighed, “I have nearly 50 students in that section, but from what I recall they were nice enough lads. A little entitled coming from the proper posh families of the city, but nothing I have dealt with before in my 7 years at NYU.”

“Did they do well in class?” Malcolm asked.

“Tanner was an ace. Brilliant writing. He had such a way with words. I presume his background with political speeches was to thank for that particular talent. Adrian, on the other hand, wasn’t doing quite as well, given his skiving off for football. His essays were utter rubbish, but he managed to somehow do well on the exams.” The professor answered.

“According to his girlfriend, he used his hacking skills to steal test answers.” Dani revealed. “Did you ever suspect him of cheating?” 

“The thought crossed my mind.” Chapman replied, crossing his arms indignantly he added, “However, suspicions don’t get very far around here without actual proof of dodgy actions.”

Malcolm chimed in once more, “Did Tanner or Adrian have issues with any other students in class?”

“Not that I know of.” The professor shook his head. “Look, I appreciate your wanting to be thorough, but I teach hundreds of students. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence they both happened to be in my class.”

“Perhaps, but it doesn’t seem very likely from where we’re standing.” Malcolm informed him.

Dani interjected, “Dr. Chapman, the killer is leaving notes behind at the crime scenes, poems describing the victims wrong doings. Then, we discovered they both take the same writing class... you can see why we have our doubts at this merely being a coincidence.”

“Poems?” The professor rose to his feet and uncrossed his arms, suddenly intrigued. “May I see them? I may recognize the writing.”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Malcolm began, taking a liking to the suggestion. However when his eyes flicked to Dani’s and met her glare, he quickly amended, “but they’re in evidence.”

“And it’s against police procedure to show critical evidence to civilians.” Dani told him, then gave her partner a pointed look. Malcolm had a habit of ignoring rules and procedures when working a case, but he had been getting better lately.

“Right. Of course.” Dr. Chapman said sheepishly then went on to add, “I just wanted to help. You see, I lost my wife last year and was absolutely gutted. I never saw it coming.”

As his eyes turned glassy, Dani’s heart broke just a little for him and she responded, “I’m so sorry.”

Clearing his throat, the professor composed himself and went on to explain, “My point is that I can relate to what these lads’ families are feeling. If there is any way I can give them closure, please do let me know.”

“We will.” Malcolm assured as Dani nodded.

Dr. Chapman’s phone went off just then. It wasn’t a standard ring. It was a startling sound of high pitched vocals to an iconic beat. Malcolm and Dani exchanged a look then Malcolm inquired, “Bohemian Rhapsody?”

As the professor pulled his cell from his pocket and shut off the alarm, he shrugged, “ What can I say? I’m a bit of a Queen freak, and, right now, Mr. Mercury is telling me it’s time to get on to my department meeting.”

Dani smiled as she reached into her back pocket, “Not a problem. Here’s my card if you think of anything else about the boys that may be relevant to the investigation.”

“Great. I’ll be off but...” The professor trailed off then gave a nod toward a girl grading assignments at a table in the corner. “Georgianna, my teaching assistant, may be able to tell you more. Good luck with your investigation. Cheers.”

Malcolm and Dani waved as he grabbed his satchel style briefcase, tossed it over his shoulder, then headed out the door on the other side. Passing his TA, he stopped and placed a hand over her shoulder and whispered something. The girl glanced over at the two of them then back to Dr. Chapman. Smiling, she gave a nod then dropped her red pen and stood.

Smoothing out her cream sweater dress that ended just above the knee, Georgianna made her way over, suede knee length boots clacking against the tile floor as she did. Her boots matched the black scarf that hung around her neck contrasting against the natural orange hue of her hair that Georgianna wore in a chic pageboy haircut with blunt bangs. Her make up was a little thick on the eyes, but just right everywhere else. Dani admired her style. Malcolm was not as impressed. He preferred women with a more natural look.

“Hi, I’m Georgie.” Georgianna greeted. “Dr. Chapman said you wanted to talk to me.”

“I’m Detective Powell. My associate, Malcolm Bright, and I are investigating the murders of Tanner Pope and Adrian De La Rosa.” Dani told her.

“Of course, it’s so tragic what happened to them.” She retorted somberly.

“So, you already knew about Adrian?” Dani queried.

Georgie shrugged, then hugged herself as she remarked, “News travels fast around a college campus, especially when a killer is involved. All anyone can talk about is who is going to be next.”

“We are going to do everything in our power to make sure there is not a next time.” Dani assured. “Security is going to be increased, and if you don’t mind answering a few questions, it would be a big help.”

“Sure.” Georgie nodded.

Malcolm spoke up just then, “What was your impression of Tanner and Adrian?”

“They were typical college boys who thought they were all that and could get away with anything.” She answered simply.

“Did that attitude make them any particular enemies?” Dani pushed further.

“I’m sure they pissed people off,” Georgie retorted. “but I can’t imagine anyone being angry enough to actually kill them.

Malcolm prodded on, “What was  _ your  _ relationship with the guys like?”

“Nonexistent. I mean, other than the occasional flirting.” She noted.

“You flirted with them?” Dani retorted curiously.

“No.  _ They  _ flirted with  _ me _ .” Georgie clarified, moving her hands to her hips. “Tanner liked the challenge of trying to woo an older woman. Adrian only flirted because he thought it would help his grade.”

“Did it?” Malcolm asked.

“No. Both of them were unsuccessful.” She answered. “I can’t be bought. Besides, as a graduate student, I find undergrads too immature to date. If I am going to spend my time on a man, he needs to be someone more intellectually stimulating.”

“Fair enough.” Dani nodded in understanding.

“Look, I hope you don’t think low of me. I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead.” Georgianna told them, twisting her thin pink and green bracelet around her wrist. “They may not have been the greatest guys in the world, but they could be sweet when they wanted to be. I really do wish you luck in finding their killer.”

“Thank you, but we don’t need luck. We have evidence.” Dani assured.

“You do?” She queried.

“A killer always leaves evidence behind.” Malcolm assured. “It’s only a matter of time before we catch him.”

“Oh. good.” Georgie retorted. “I should probably get back to work now. Those papers won’t grade themselves. Anyway,it was nice meeting you both.”

“You too.” Dani told her.

“Thanks for your insight.” Malcolm chimed in.

“If you need anything else, you know where to find me.” She smiled softly then headed back to her desk.

Dani and Malcolm headed the other way, back to the door they used the first time. When they got in the elevator, Dani’s stomach growled loudly. She knew skipping breakfast wasn’t the best idea, but she was in a rush to get to the crime scene. With a sigh, she inquired hopefully to Malcolm, “Mind if we stop for a bite to eat?”

“JT is expecting us back at the precinct soon.” Malcolm reminded her.

“Eh, I’m not worried about JT.” Dani quipped “Anyway, I know a great place around the corner where there is never a long wait.”

As the doors of the elevator slid open with a loud ding, he grinned back, “Lead the way.”

**********

Five minutes and three blocks later, the stood in front of rusted metal hotdog cart with a red and yellow umbrella. The sign on the front read, “Hal’s Hotdogs.” While the cart itself wasn’t in the best shape, the hotdogs were the best Dani had ever had. She eagerly ordered a “show dog,” also known as a hot dog with all the fixings,gave Hal a hefty tip for his efforts, then strolled along with Malcolm. They walked in silence toward a bench along the sidewalk and sat. As she ate, Malcolm gave her his take on the conversations with Dr. Chapman and Georgianna.

As Dani licked her lips and tossed her food wrapper in the nearby trash can, she said, “So, all we really learned is that the boys are the flirtatious type. Is that even relevant?”

Malcolm shrugged, “Everything’s relevant until it’s not.” 

“How philosophic.” She teased with a roll of her eyes.

“Speaking of being flirtatious…” He hesitated then suddenly continued before he could chicken out, “What’s the deal with officer Troy?” Malcolm told himself he wouldn’t bring it up, but he couldn’t help it. He just had to know. Besides, if she got to berate him for supposedly flirting the other day, then he had a right to question her coquettish behavior.

“Troy is no one.” Dani answered casually. “And I wasn’t flirting with him, I was rejecting him.”

“Right. Too tall, dark, and handsome for you?” Malcolm joked to cover the relief that came over him.

“More like too full of himself.” She corrected him. “Don’t get me wrong, Troy’s not a bad guy deep down, and he’s great for a good time…. but he’s not the serious relationship type.”

That last comment caught his attention, making him look deep into her auburn eyes and question curiously, “Is that what you want? A serious relationship?”

Dani bit her lip thoughtfully, “I think so. I don’t know.” Dani flip flopped. “I guess I figure I’m not getting any younger, so if I am going to date, I want it to be with someone I could potentially get serious with.”

Malcolm nodded appreciatively, “I can understand that.”

“What about you?” Dani tossed back.

“Oh, I don’t think Troy is for me.” He remarked with a smirk.

Dani rolled her eyes, then blurted, “Edrisa then?”

If Malcolm had been drinking something, he would have spit it right at her, completely unprepared for her query. Feeling completely baffled, he retorted, “What? No...why?”

“You guys just seem pretty chummy.” She shrugged.

Suddenly things began to make more sense, and he confessed, “Edrisa makes me feel important and lighter, she is someone I can geek out with. She’s a great friend... but a friend is all she is.”

“Does  _ she  _ know that?” Dani quirked a brow.

He rose a brow of his own, “Do  _ you  _ know she’s engaged?”

Dani’s eyes went wide, “What? When? To who?”

Malcolm thought for a moment then responded, “Edrisa’s engaged. Last month. To her boyfriend, Kenji.”

“Wow.” She replied, still a little stunned. “Good for her. Why didn’t she say anything?”

He shrugged, “It’s not exactly something you announce over a dead body, and you don’t see her much elsewhere.” 

“I guess not.” Dani noted, suddenly feeling bad. She made a mental note to spend more time with Edrisa. They clearly needed to get to know each other better. Dani figured they would get along well. After all, they were both women working--no-- excelling in a man’s field; strong, brilliant, kickass women. Oh yeah, they’d get along.

“But to answer your question,” Malcolm chimed in again. “If I found the right someone, the right  _ single  _ someone, I think I would be open to a relationship, even a serious one.” 

Dani offered a small, sweet smile at his words, which he returned easily. For a moment, they were lost in each other’s gaze. Feeling a magnetic pull between them they both leaned in slowly. They didn’t get very far when a taxi cab blared it’s horn, making them jump back apart.

“Ey! I’m walking here!” An angry pedestrian yelled from the crosswalk.

Laughing nervously, Dani gestured back toward the car, “We should probably get going.”

“Yeah, of course.” Malcolm agreed, feigning a coolness he definitely didn’t feel. “Let’s go.”

Walking back to the car, neither of them knew what to make of that moment, but both weren’t opposed to it happening again.


	7. Chapter Seven

Malcolm raked a hand through his already slicked back hair, feeling anxious as he entered yet another crime scene. A third body had dropped during the night. It wasn’t even light out yet and the police were crawling all over the swanky one bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Unfortunately, they still didn't have any concrete leads. He really needed to get his head in the game. The pieces of the profile were there, floating around his mind like feathers in the wind. Malcolm just had to gather them all up and see the whole picture. Standing there, his hand twitched involuntarily as he listened to Edrisa read the latest note.

**H** **is royal highness was untoward.**

**In the maiden he forced his sword,**

**But a debt was paid,**

**So untouched he stayed,**

**Until by the defender his blood was poured.**

“Well, I’d say that one is pretty straight forward.” Dani commented dryly. “Stabbing represents sex, so our victim is most likely a rapist… at least in the eyes of our killer.”

“Agreed.” Malcolm nodded, a note of pride in his voice.

JT jumped in as an officer handed him a black leather rectangle. “According to this wallet left in the living room, our vic’s name is Kenneth Kingston, age 22, student at NYU.”

“Not surprising, given the M.O. matches our other bodies, except for the change of weapon.” Edrisa replied. “This time our cause of death is exsanguination. He bled out due to the removal of his penis.”

“Ouch.” JT winced.

“What about the wounds on his torso and neck?” Malcolm probed, stepping closer to examine the red scratches and blood stains defacing the towheaded boy’s pale skin. “Run me through the killer’s movements.”

Edrisa beamed with excitement, then said, “I’d be honored to. It appears the neck was slit first, just enough to incapacitate his vocal chords and keep him from calling for help. Then, I suspect ‘little Kenny’ was removed next judging by the steady cut across his shaft. However, see the chaotic nature of the wounds on the torso. This tells me that by this point, the killer was probably high on adrenaline and snapped, stabbing the victim frantically until they felt satisfied and at ease once more.”

“That is a lot of action going on, any neighbors report hearing anything?” Malcolm asked.

JT shook his head, “The only thing they mentioned was hearing Kingston’s stereo blaring. Officers responding to the noise complaint found him like this.”

“So, the killer gets Kenneth comfortable, blares the music as a cover, then attacks...” Dani stated knowingly. “but how does he get out without being seen?”

“The fire escape off the balcony would do the trick.” JT tossed back.

“Okay, but the killer would have gotten blood all over their clothes.” Dani pointed out. “Kinda hard to make a clean getaway when you’re literally a mess.”

“Unless they weren’t wearing clothes.” Malcolm said, a light bulb going off in his mind as Ainsley’s and Dr. Whitly’s voices echoed in the back of his mind:  _ I’ve been exploiting people my whole life. As a serial killer? No, as a white man. We’re terrible.  _ That was it. Everything was clicking into place.

“I think it’s time for the profile.” Gil affirmed as he entered the room and crossed his arms. “Whatcha thinking, kid?”

“We are looking for a mission killer. A  _ female  _ mission killer.” Malcolm asserted.

“Aren’t female serial killers rare?” Dani asked.

Edrisa nodded, “Yes, in fact, in the U.S. only 15% of all serial killers are female. Right, Malcolm?”

“Right, Edrisa.” Malcolm returned with a smile. “And I think we are looking at one now. We know the victims weren’t drugged into submission. I think the killer lured them to bed with the promise of sex, the kinky kind given the allowance of bondage. She strips down, gets them where she wants them, then goes in for the kill only to redress, wipe off her hands and face, and be on her merry way.”

“That would line up with such a small caliber of gun being used. A man would probably pick something bigger than a .38.” JT remarked.

“So, what kind of woman are we looking at exactly?” Dani asked.

Malcolm began ticking off on his fingers, “Young, attractive, nonthreatening. Most likely a student at the university. She has made it her mission to rid the world of these unworthy men.”

“Wait...” JT cut in. “I thought mission killers went after homeless people or prostitutes. People that wouldn’t be missed... like Watkins did.”

Malcolm nodded, “Technically, mission killers go after populations that present as an abomination to society, which usually, yes are those groups you mentioned. However, this particular killer sees privileged young men as the proverbial sore on the foot of society.”

“Gross.” Dani mumbled, wrinkling her nose as Edrisa blurted, “Cool!”

Malcolm ignored them and continued on, “Our femme fetale is tired of these entitled, rich boys getting away with their crimes of selling drugs, stealing answers, rape, and who knows what else. They don’t pay for their crimes in the real world, so they pay in hers… with their lives.”

“Which begs the question, why now?” Gil interjected. “Why did she snap now and kill these particular boys?”

“And who is this psycho chick?” JT asked.

Malcolm took a deep breath then said boldy, “Ladies, gentlemen, I think it’s time we set a trap.”

**********

Everything happened so quickly after that. First, Edrisa rushed a very dead Kenneth Kingston to the nearest hospital via ambulance. Next, Gil gave a statement to the media, claiming Kingston was alive and hanging by a thread, casually adding in how once he was stable and conscious they would finally be able to identify the Defender. Meanwhile, JT, Dani, and Malcolm headed to the hospital to set the scene. It took some finangling, but they got the hospital’s agreement and a young blonde officer to stand in for Kingston. While Edrisa secretly took the body back to her office, because they weren’t about to risk deterioration of the body or possible evidence it held, they got Officer Cooke in a gown and, with the magic of makeup, looking like he was on the brink of death. Then, they sat in wait. A few hours went by as Dani sat in the waiting room with one arm in a sling and the other holding up the newspaper as cover. JT stayed close by in his borrowed janitor coveralls, mopping the hallway. Meanwhile, Malcolm laid on the second bed in the hospital room with the sterile white curtain pulled around him.

At a little after nine in the morning, Dani saw a woman walk up to the front desk and talk to the nurse behind it. The woman wore a tan fedora with a matching tan and black knit coat that ended at her knees. The woman also wore oversized sunglasses, which was odd because she was inside and even outside it was a gloomy fall morning. As the heels of her 4 inch boots clacked along the tile floor, Dani got up and followed, giving a heads up to the guys through her com that a suspect was in sight.

The woman walked calmly into the room and saddled up to “Kingston’s” bedside. Malcolm, who was now standing, peeked around the curtain to see the suspect reaching into her pocket with a leather glove and slowly pulling out a syringe. Giving it a flick, she moved toward the IV drip.

“Freeze!” Malcolm called out as he rushed forward and grabbed her from behind, placing his left hand on her left arm and right hand around her right wrist, twisting it until she dropped her weapon. Just then, Officer Cooke sat up and Dani and JT bursted into the room, all three drawing their guns and pointing them at the woman. In the scuffle, Malcolm accidentally knocked off her hat, revealing beautiful, bright orangey-red locks.

While the men kept their guns raised, Dani exchanged hers for her cuffs as she stepped forward and spoke authoritatively, “Georgianna Hodges, you are under arrest.”

**********

Gil and Malcolm decided to let her sit in the interrogation room for a while. In the meantime, they ran her prints and did a deep dive into her background. Nothing hinky popped. On paper, Georgianna seemed completely normal. In person, not so much. As the team stood watching her through the two way mirror, she sat with her hands cuffed to the table, not saying a word. In fact, she hadn’t said anything for an entire hour. Georgianna didn’t ask for her parents or a lawyer or even a snack. She sat silently and stared at the wall, totally expressionless and emotionless.

“Anybody else creeped the fuck out by this girl?” JT queried, getting goosebumps down his back.

“Yeah, she definitely gives me Regan MacNeil vibes.” Dani agreed, waiting any minute for this chick’s head to spin around in a complete circle.

“Or maybe she just knows when she’s been beaten.” Gil told them, dismissing their comments.

“Only one way to find out.” Malcolm told them. “I’ll go talk to Georgianna. You guys hang back for now, I don’t want to overwhelm her.”

They all nodded in agreement, then, moments later, Malcolm was on the other side of the window, taking a seat at the table across from her.

“Georgianna…” He began. 

“Please, call me Georgie.” She insisted.

“Georgie.” He corrected himself. “We caught you red-handed with the syringe. We know you killed Kenneth Kingston and the other boys. What we don’t know is why.”

She toyed with the green and pink bracelet on her wrist as she answered, “I did it for my sisters.”

Malcolm furrowed a brow, “According to your file, you’re an only child.”

“My  _ sorority  _ sisters.” Georgie explained. I was president of the Delta Kappa Deltas my senior year. Then, I had to leave that life behind when I started grad school. Instead of watching the girls flourish like I thought they would, I watched them being cut down left and right.”

“How so?” Malcolm pushed on curiously, sitting back as he crossed his legs and smoothed out his tie.

“Brynne Goldstein bought drugs from Tanner and got addicted. She was supposed to have graduated with honors and joined a prominent bio-tech lab across the country, but instead failed out and got sent to rehab. Olivia Caldwell was dating Adrian who was a cheater in every sense of the word. She was going to give up her whole life for that asshole and be his trophy wife. Then there was Ashlyn Maddox, my little sister, who was raped by Kenny after one date. She became depressed for weeks until she eventually dropped out of school because seeing him on campus was just too much.”

“And this upsets you?” Malcolm questioned as her eyes turned glassy.

“It pisses me off.” Georgie corrected, tone angry for a moment until she regained control. “These boys do and take what they want, not caring about the damage they leave behind. But why wouldn’t they? After all, they’re  _ special _ . They don’t  _ have  _ consequences.

“Did you ever report these guys to the university?” He questioned, but had a feeling he knew the answer already.

“I tried, but President Crenshaw wouldn’t hear it.” She responded calmly, clasping her hands as she added, “So, I made him listen. I made  _ everyone  _ listen.”

“What are you saying?” Malcolm queried.

“I’m saying, I killed them. I seduced them, murdered them, then left an “X” on their chest and a note in their mouth, so everyone would know they aren’t some innocent victim.” Georgie told him, voice unwavering.

“Georgie, you need to waive your right to counsel before you say anything else.” Malcolm informed her. “If you are confessing.”

“Fine. I waive my rights. I don’t want a lawyer. I want to tell the truth.” She stated matter-of-factly, pushing away the tears and anger.

“Okay.” Malcolm nodded calmly. “What is the truth, Georgie?”

“The truth is I am the Defender, and I killed those boys.” Georgianna said confidently. “I am guilty of the murders of Kenneth Kingston, Adrian De La Rosa, Tanner Pope… and Luke Sterling.”

Malcolm immediately looked toward the mirror, knowing his eyes were as wide as his friends’ who stood beyond the glass. He also knew they were all thinking the same thing. Who the hell is Luke Sterling?


	8. Chapter Eight

For starting off as such a chatty Kathy, Georgianna clammed up pretty quick. She did not reveal anything more about this mysterious Luke Sterling. She did not reveal anything more about anything. At least not verbally. Georgie did, however, write her statement down with the pen and notepad Malcolm provided, including the grisly details of how she killed her victims. She even told them where they would find the gun she used.

When Georgianna finished her statement, Malcolm left her to share her statement with the rest of the team. As Gil and JT looked over the notebook page, Dani did a google search on her phone for the name Lucas Sterling.

“The confession sounds legit to me.” JT noted. “Disturbing and a little terrifying but definitely legit.”

Gil nodded, “It lines up with the crime scenes and the evidence we’ve found.”

“Speaking of…” JT trailed off, checking his phone that just vibrated. With a satisfying smile, he commented, “The officers sent to Georgianna’s apartment found a gun, a .38 special, recently fired, right where she said it would be.. Looks like this case is officially closed.”

“Not until we get to the bottom of Luke Sterling.” Gil noted.

“Already on it.” Dani told him, pulling up an article from the New York Post and reading the highlights out to the team. “Luke Sterling, a senior on the swim team, on track to go to the Olympics, died last fall.”

“How?” Malcolm probed.

“Suicide. Sertraline was found in his system during the initial autopsy, which was attributed to the empty bottle of Zoloft found on his bedside table.” 

“Zoloft, powerful stuff, especially in high doses. Never worked that well for me though.” Malcolm remarked. “How much did he take?”

Dani looked back to her phone and, after a quick scroll through the article, said, “400 milligrams.” 

“That would definitely do it.” Malcolm replied.

Gil chimed in, “Anyone suspect foul play? Hard to believe a kid set for the Olympics would up and kill himself out of the blue.”

“Nope. Between the anti-depressants found at the scene and the fact that he was found in his bed, it looked like a cut and dry suicide.” Dani told them. “While his swimming career was on track, his grades had taken a dive, no pun intended, and authorities suspected the pressure had finally gotten to him and Luke took his own life.”

“But now we know psycho Barbie is behind it.” JT quipped dryly.

“He must’ve messed with one of Georgie’s sorority sisters just like the others.” Dani noted. “Then she snapped, killed him, and began her reign of terror.”

“But why him first? And why the break after?” Gil questioned. “The rest of the murders happened so quickly.”

JT added, “Yeah, why wait a year to continue the killing spree?”

“The change in the methodology is inconsistent too. Don’t you think?” Dani chimed in.

Malcolm ignored the increase of his heartbeat at Dani’s use of profiling lingo. Instead of dwelling on how utterly attractive it was, he turned to look through the window at Georgianna who sat with hands folded just as she had before, looking detached and unflappable. Looking at the killer in question, he answered, “Killers evolve. She was triggered once and killed Luke, probably because he mistreated her or one of her sisters. That was enough to satisfy her at the time. My guess is Luke was victimized by the media, correct?”

“Oh, yeah. The title of this article might as well be “Poor little rich boy.”” Dani summarized. “No mention of any troubles in his past. He was a saint, a soon to be Olympian… blah, blah, blah.”

“Exactly.” Malcolm responded, shifting his glance back to the team. “Luke’s death made him a victim, so Georgianna came up with a new plan to make sure that when she killed again, they would see these guys for the villains they were. She became the Defender.”

“Damn,” JT whistled. “Gives a new meaning to the word superhero.”

“She’s not a hero or villain.” Gil dismissed firmly. “She’s a murderer, and she is going to pay the price for it.”

They all nodded in response, not daring to say anything to contradict their lieutenant.

Clearing his throat, Arroyo spoke up once more, “It’s getting late. Since you all put in such long hours these past few days, take the evening off. I will take care of things in the meantime. In the morning, all the evidence should be processed and we can finish up the paperwork. Nice work team.”

A round of smiles and nods went through the room before Gil made his exit. The rest of them followed. As they arrived back at the bullpen, Dani sighed and sat down at her desk. 

Leaning against the unoccupied desk adjacent to hers, he crossed his arms and eyed her, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.” She told him.

He shook his head, “If I have learned anything from living with two  _ very  _ strong-willed women for the majority of my life, it is that “fine” is code for “I am most certainly  _ not  _ fine.”

Dani smirked, “Touche. I was just thinking how absurd it is that I feel bad for a killer.”

“That’s not absurd. That’s called being empathetic.” Malcolm assured.

“I guess.” She relented. “It’s just, one of the things I liked most about being a cop is that there is a clear line between right and wrong and good and bad, but the more cases I work, the blurrier that line seems to get.”

“Yeah, it does.” He agreed simply, realizing the same thing during his time with the FBI. “He didn’t have any great words of wisdom for her, so instead, he went in another direction, “Want to get out of here? We can pick up some Mexican food from the place down the street and do dinner and a movie at my apartment.”

Dani smiled mischievously, “Can we watch _Peter Pan_?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes then tried to hide his smile as he said, “Fine.”

“Excellent.” She retorted, standing and sliding on her leather jacket. “And as we both know when a guy says fine…”

“It doesn’t really matter because the woman is going to do what she wants anyway.” Malcolm finished teasingly.

“Precisely.” She grinned wider, her usual spark back in her eyes. Greasy food and a movie always worked wonders on Dani’s mood. And seeing Dani so happy, well, that always did wonders for Malcolm’s.

**********

About forty minutes later, Disney+ was cued up and the food was spooned onto ceramic dishes and ready to eat. They intended on watching the original animated version, but opted for the live-action version from 2003, since they both somehow had yet to see it. They ate, chatted, laughed, and even got a bit teary-eyed during the movie. When it came to a close, they agreed that version was better by far.

Sitting in her usual spot on the middle cushion with her feet tucked underneath her Tiger Lily style, Dani clutched a pillow against her t-shirt clad torso and looked at Malcolm with a smile, “That was nice. I forgot how much I actually enjoyed that movie. Makes me feel like a kid again.”

“You’re not gonna go jumping out the window on me, are you?” Malcolm queried with a teasing quirk of his brow.

“Ha.Ha.” She tossed back with feigned amusement then added, “Don’t worry my window jumping days are over. Sky-diving, however, is still very much on the table.”

“Seriously?” He asked in surprise.

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to go.” She nodded. “Maybe we could do it together?”

“I think I’ll pass.” Malcolm replied. “I’m not really into extreme sports.”

“Says the guy who spends his days  _ literally  _ chasing down serial killers.” Dani said pointedly.

“Exactly. Between my day job and my night terrors, I get all the adrenaline I need.” He explained. “The rest of my time, I like to spend doing calm, relaxing activities.”

“Such as….” She trailed off in question.

“I do yoga, mediation, go for long walks through the park, have brunch with my mother….” He ticked off on his fingers. When Dani cocked her head to side and gave him a no-nonsense look, he amended, “okay, so relaxing may not be the right word to describe that last one, but you catch my drift.”

“I do.” Dani nodded. “However, I think releasing adrenaline in a more positive way could be good for you.”

Malcolm stared at her for a moment as a blush crept onto his cheeks and fumbled, “Uh, p-perhaps.”

Realizing how that comment came off, Dani’s face flushed as well as she rushed to add, “Like through skydiving.”

“Right, of course, skydiving.” He repeated then revealed a smirk. It wasn’t often she got ruffled. It was kind of adorable to watch.

Laughing, she shook her head at him, then smacked him with the pillow as she blurted playfully, “Shut up.”

Malcolm moved the pillow to the side and teased, “For now how about we stick to some extreme dishwashing. I’ll speed wash, you can speed dry.”

After rolling her eyes in response, Dani helped Malcolm collect the dishes. He stacked the plates and gathered the silverware, while she collected their empty whisky-soda glasses. It didn’t take long to clean everything up, but for the few minutes it did, Malcolm and Dani found themselves in a nice rhythm, feeling comfortable and at peace. In fact, these days, Malcolm found himself feeling most comfortable and at peace when hanging out with Dani. She had a way of grounding him, and he was fairly certain she felt the same way. Evenings like these made him yearn for more than just a work relationship, made him think that maybe having something real with Dani was possible. But could he truly handle it? Could he truly have domestic bliss? Malcolm was chewing on this thought when Dani’s voice interrupted.

“Everything okay there, Wonderboy?” She asked, watching him bite his lip in thought as he drained the sink. The sleeves of his button-down were pushed up to his elbows so they wouldn’t get wet. It was an attractive look for Malcolm, but the pensive look on his face was ruining the sexy man of the house vibe he had going on. Handing him the dish towel so he could dry off his hands, she waited for a response.

“Yeah, sorry. It’s nothing.” He brushed off, taking the offered piece of plaid terry cloth. “Coffee?”

“Sure.” She smiled because, for one, she loved coffee, and two, she wasn’t quite ready to leave Malcolm’s place yet and let the evening be over. “I’m just gonna hit the restroom real quick.” Dani added because, you know, Mexican food… then spun on her heel and headed for the bathroom down the hall. 

By the time she returned to the kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee was wafting through the air. The cups were already poured. Malcolm handed her a steaming purple mug while he sipped from a black one that read “World’s Best Profiler,” a Christmas gift from Ainsley years ago as well as his favorite Dani knew.

“Thanks.” She said sweetly then made her way to the kitchen island to take a seat. Malcolm followed suit and took the seat next to her. It was quiet for a long moment as they enjoyed the taste of the bitter liquid as it coated their throats and swirled in their stomachs. While Malcolm casually drank with one hand, Dani clutched hers between her palms, relishing the feel of the heat as it radiated through her fingers, into her hands, and up her arms. After a second drag of coffee, Dani finally broke the silence, “So... have you talked to your dad lately?”

Startled, Malcolm looked her in the eyes with a furrowed brow and replied, “What? No, why?”

Gesturing to the sink on the other side of the island, Dani answered, “You were thinking pretty hard back there. That usually means you’re troubled by a case or Martin Whitly and the case is closed so…”

Malcolm sighed, “I haven’t spoken to Dr. Whitly in two months, but he invades my dreams every night.”

“And what does he say?” She probed.

“The usual. He calls me his boy and reminds me of how alike we are.” He shrugged. “I keep telling myself it’s not true…”

“Good,” Dani interjected. “because you're definitely not like him. I mean, sure you’re both intelligent and passionate, but that’s where the similarities stop. Trust me.”

Malcolm smiled meekly, “Thanks, but sometimes I’m not so sure… one way or another, I’m pretty messed up because of him, and the harder I try to pretend I’m not, more messed up I actually feel.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t try so hard.” She told him. “Just don’t murder people.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle as he remarked, “Noted.”

“Seriously though,” Dani went on, “Having a messed up childhood sucks, but it doesn’t have to define you unless you let it.”

“Does that mean you think I can be normal one day? That I can have a family and a house in suburbia with a white picket fence?” Malcolm queried quietly, a little afraid of what the answer might be.

“I think,” She paused thoughtfully. “that if JT Tarmel can change diapers, sing lullabies, and rock a Babybjorn baby carrier then there is hope for you yet.”

“He really wears that thing a lot, doesn’t he?” He asked with a smirk.

“Literally, all the time.” Dani giggled.

“He’s a great dad.” Malcolm nodded.

“Literally, all the time.” She agreed, tone more serious this time. “And if that is what you want to be someday, I have no doubt you’ll get there, but maybe you should stop putting so much pressure on yourself about the future.” Pausing to place a hand on his shoulder, she continued. “Just relax and embrace the here and now.”

As Dani’s words echoed in his mind, his eyes met her gaze for a moment then flicked to her lips. Then, he went for it. Embracing the now, just as he was instructed, he sat his coffee down then cradled Dani’s face between his hands before pulling her in abruptly for a kiss. Though Malcolm’s movements were swift, the kiss itself was slow and searching, giving her time to put down her own coffee before responding. Clutching him with both hands now, she let him deepen the kiss, reveling in the sensation it sent down her spine all the way to her toes. The java suddenly wasn’t the only thing warming her insides. After who knows how many minutes they finally broke for breath.

Panting, Dani grinned then blurted, “It’s getting late. I should get going.”

“Okay.” Malcolm grinned back. Obviously, she didn’t want to talk about what just happened. That was cool with him. He didn’t have a clue how to explain himself anyway. Instead he walked her to the door, helped her into her leather jacket, and bid her good night.

Once the door closed, Malcolm leaned his back against it and ran his hands through his hair. What did he just do? What did it mean? When could he do that again? Would Dani  _ let  _ him do that again? His mind was bombarded with these questions as he smiled and shook his head. It didn’t matter what it meant or what happened in the future. Right now was what was important, and, right now, Malcolm was feeling pretty darn great.

  
Little did he know, Dani was leaning against the opposite side of the door with a smile of her own. It lingered as she made her way down to the first floor. When she had told Malcolm to embrace the here and now, Dani was not expecting him to do  _ that _ . Not that she was complaining. In fact, she had secretly wondered if Malcolm was a good kisser, and now she knew. Wonderboy got skills. It made Dani curious about what other talents he may be hiding. More than that, it made her think about the possibilities for the future. She had never been kissed like that before. She had never received a kiss that left her body running so hot that she barely noticed leaving the building and entering the cool night air, a kiss that left her stomach fluttering, heart soaring, and lips tingling in delight. That had to mean  _ something _ , right? Unable and unwilling to stop herself, Dani raised a hand and felt said tingle with her fingertips, corners of her mouth slowly curving as she re-lived the moment -  _ their moment-  _ all over again. Getting lost in the memory she knew she would never forget, Dani didn’t notice the sound of footsteps behind her. She did hear the sound of glass breaking though. Coming back to herself, Dani turned around on impulse to investigate. That’s when everything went black.


	9. Chapter Nine

Kissing Dani was the last thing Malcolm thought about before drifting off to sleep, and it was the first thing he thought about when he awoke, which helped calm him down from the night terrors that were actually fairly mild this time. It seemed Dani was an all consuming and all powerful remedy for his mind and body these days… and dare he say his heart? His heart was certainly sailing, that was for sure, but he told himself not to overthink things, and for once in his life he didn’t. Instead Malcolm embraced the extra skip in his step and whistled a happy tune as he got out of bed for the day. 

After a light breakfast with Sunshine, he took a quick shower, got dressed, and styled his hair. Did he dance a little as he did each task? Maybe… but he settled a bit, walking coolly as he made his way into the morning sunshine. Stopping at the bottom of the stoop, he took a deep breath and smiled as the city hummed and birds chirped. Continuing on his way, he strode merrily to the edge of the sidewalk, stopping to look. Malcolm looked left then right, but quickly found himself doing a double take as noticed a familiar car parallel parked nearby. It was Dani’s car, except it couldn’t be because she left last night. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he checked his text messages. She never messaged to say she got home safe. Maybe because she  _ didn’t _ , and he was too wrapped up in the kiss to realize it… or, more logically, someone with a similar car pulled into the same spot. Though his mind tried to be reasonable, his gut wasn’t as easily swayed. It gave a foreboding tug as Malcolm made his way closer to the vehicle. There was a ticket tucked under the windshield. No, not a ticket.... an  _ envelope _ . It was standard letter size, plain white. Opening the unmarked envelope, he pulled out a piece of white notebook paper, unfolded it, and read the message it contained. Malcolm’s eyes widened, searing with rage. Angrily crumpling the paper, he ran out into the road, jumping in front of the first cab he saw. The taxi screeched to a halt, narrowly avoiding hitting him. As the driver let out a string of curse words, Malcolm climbed in the passenger side and said, “I need to get to the police precinct  _ fast _ !” Between the urgency in his voice and the handful of c-notes he thrusted at the driver, the crabby cabby quickly changed his attitude and sped down the street like a bat out of hell. In hindsight, maybe Malcolm should have counted how many bills he actually handed over, but he had more important things on his mind… like Dani. He had to get to Dani. But first he was going to need some back up.

**********

Gil and JT were talking at JT’s desk in the bullpen when Malcolm burst through the door. JT was in his chair, yawning as he spoke. That plus the dark circles under his eyes said that Junior still wasn’t sleeping through the night. The amusement in Gil’s smile said the boss was enjoying his detective’s pain. They appeared to have good banter going. Between that and the hustle and bustle of the precinct around them, they didn’t notice Malcolm until he was standing in front of them.

“Malcolm.” Gil greeted warmly, then as he took in his distraught demeanor, he shifted into serious dad mode, rose from his perch on the corner of JT’s desk, and hastily added, “Is everything okay?”

“Dani’s in trouble.” Malcolm responded all in one breath, extending his hand holding the envelope toward Gil.

JT shot out of his chair at Malcolm’s words, swiftly coming around his desk to stand next to the lieutenant. Malcolm watched intently, fingers twitching as the men silently read the vile poem.

_**There was a cop named Dani Powell.** _

_**She hangs from the ceiling now.** _

_**If you give up the Knight,** _

_**Your girl will be alright,** _

_**But if not, she'll be put in the ground** _

After a moment, Malcolm began to rant, “Knights defend the kingdom, so the knight in question is the Defender. Georgie obviously has a partner and they want to make a trade, and we need to act fast.” He finished then spun on his heel, eager to get to the address left at the bottom of the note.

“Whoa. Slow down, Kid.” Gil called from behind, grabbing Malcolm by the shoulder and whirling him back around.

“But Dani—“ Malcolm began. 

JT quickly interrupted, backing up his boss, “Gil’s right. You can’t go running in hot and make it up as you go this time. We need a plan.”

“I know, I just— never mind. What’s the plan?” Malcolm rambled quickly, looking between the two men.

“The plan is JT drives while I call in SWAT. “ Gil told him.

“Okay... what about me?” Malcolm questioned, ready to take action.

“You,” Gil said, looking him intently in the eye. “You stay here.”

“What?” Malcolm retorted completely flabbergasted. “You can’t be serious!”

“You’re too close to this... to her.” Gil tried to explain. “It’s making you too emotional. “

“We’re ALL close to her.” Malcolm argued. “We’re ALL emotional.”

“Not as emotional as you.” JT snarked teasingly. 

“I’m fine!” Malcolm spat out harshly, his attitude indicating the exact opposite of his words. 

“Malcolm— “Gil cut in then was hastily cut off. 

“I CAN HANDLE IT!” Malcolm yelled, then, realizing an outburst wasn’t exactly helping his case, he cleared his throat as he loosened his tie before repeating more calmly, “I can handle it.”

Gil and JT briefly exchanged a look then fixed their gazes back on Malcolm. The lieutenant stared skeptically at his surrogate son, unsure of what to do. 

Malcolm took the opportunity to speak up and say, “All right, look, we don’t have time to argue and the truth is you’re going to need me. I’m the only one of us who will be able to get inside this guy’s head and talk her down, which is Dani’s best chance of getting out safe.”

“I don’t know, kid...” Gil wavered. 

Just then, JT interjected knowingly, “He has a point, boss, and besides this is  _ Bright  _ we’re talking about. If you tell him no, he‘s just gonna go after her anyway.”

Gil took in his words as he looked back to Malcolm then sighed in defeat, “Fine. Let’s go.”

JT led the way out of the precinct with Malcolm and Gil following closely behind. The lieutenant quickly called in the order for a SWAT team as they made their way to the car. Malcolm opened the back door on the passenger side but before he could enter the vehicle, Gil grabbed him by the arm and warned, “Don’t make me regret this.”

Malcolm nodded before finally sliding into his seat. For the entire ride, he kept wondering whether Dani was okay as his hand tremor returned yet again. Taking deep breaths, he tried to relax. Dani was strong. She was a fighter. She just needed to keep fighting for a little while longer.

That’s when an idea sparked to life in Malcolm’s mind and he quickly texted Ainsley their destination with a short message: 

_ Dani’s in trouble. I need your help. Bring your Black Widow wig. _

**********

The men pulled up to the abandoned building as Malcolm shot off one final text to his sister. Getting out of the car, they circled up and Gil looked to Malcolm, “We don’t do anything until SWAT arrives.” Turning, he shifted his focus to JT and went on to explain what would happen next. As he went through the procedure, JT tried to interrupt several times. Holding him off until he finished, the lieutenant finally asked, “Okay, what is it?”

“Bright’s already gone.” JT informed his boss with a nod gesturing to the empty space behind him.

Turning, Gil swore, “Dammit, kid” Then drew his gun and ran into the building after Malcolm with JT following in suit.

**********

Dani awoke groggily with her arms extended above her head. It wasn’t the first time. She was in and out of consciousness for hours. This time, Dani stayed awake, blinking her eyes, trying to take in the scene around her. Unfortunately only one eye moved. The other was swollen shut and making her head throb. She had a vague memory of being hit in the face, but she couldn’t recall exactly what happened. The only thing Dani knew for sure is that she was sore. Not just near her eye, but down her arms too. Glancing upward, she found her wrists bound together with rope and tied to a pipe that stuck out of the ceiling. She must have been hanging here for hours. It was putting a real strain on her body, given that her feet just barely scraped the floor. Dani began to move her legs when a voice spoke up in the darkness.

“I wouldn’t do that.” a deep, familiar accent called out. “Since the fire, this place hasn’t been the most structurally sound.”

“Who’s there?” Dani yelled back, tone both angry and a little scared.

“Don’t worry about---” He began, but was cut off by a cell phone ringer yelling in a high pitched voice. “ _ Galileo! Galileo! _ ”

That’s when it hit her, figuratively this time, and she blurted, “Professor Chapman?”

He swore at his phone as he checked the text then placed it back in his pocket as he moved in front of the window that let the morning light stream in, the only light this room offered. It was Dr. Alek Chapman, in the flesh. He looked terrible with his messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and scraggly unkempt beard. His jacket was dirty and clothes wrinkled, probably from attacking her and wandering around this soot covered apartment.

“I don’t understand…” She trailed off, trying to process the turn of events..

“My love was taken from me once, I won’t let it happen again.” He told her with an intimidating step forward as he removed the gun from his waistband….  _ her  _ gun. Chapman must’ve taken it from her holster after he knocked her out.

“What do you mean?” Dani asked, feeling confused. She was probably concussed, but even so this wasn’t making much sense. 

“Georgie is a gift from above. I may not deserve her, but I won’t let you take her from me.” He promised.

“You’re in love with her.” She said, finally understanding.

“Yes,” He answered flatly. “And now that I have you as a bargaining chip, it is only a matter of time before she is released.”

“It won’t work.” Dani tossed back. “Georgianna’s killed people. She went too far, but  _ you  _ haven’t. Not yet. You can fix this before it’s too late. Just let me go.”

He looked pained as he stepped closer and shook his head, “I can’t.”

“You don’t want to hurt me.” Dani told him. That truth was evident in his eyes. “You’re not a killer.”

“Actually, you're only half right.” Malcolm cut in, looking at Dani and trying to remain calm. He wanted to lose it when he first entered the room and saw her black eye, but his years of experience as a profiler told him that getting enraged would only enrage Chapman, and since the man clearly wasn’t stable to begin with, Malcolm had to tread cautiously. Looking to the professor now, he added, “Isn’t she?”

Holding up the gun, Chapman pointed it at Malcolm and said, “Stand back. You can have your detective, once I have Georgie.”

“Oh, she’s on her way.” Malcolm assured, still moving forward. “While we wait, why don’t you tell Detective Powell the truth… you don’t want to hurt her or anyone, but you will… because you  _ have  _ done it before, haven’t you?”

“What?” Dani queried suddenly, relieved to see Malcolm, but still worried. Not for herself anymore, but for Malcolm. Killer or not, Chapman had a gun and was getting emotional, making for a lethal combination. Malcolm  _ better  _ be careful. Oh, who was she kidding? The word wasn’t even in Bright’s vocabulary. Please, lord, don’t let them die today.

“Stop.” Chapman bit out.

Malcolm of course ignored him and went on, “I did my research after meeting you that day. I know your wife died from suicide and that she got caught up in a scandal. I just didn't think it was relevant to the case.”

“I said stop.” Chapman spat more forcefully as he shifted the gun so it pointed at Dani. He realized that Malcolm didn’t care about his own safety, but just might care about his lady friend. He was right.

Malcolm stopped immediately, raised his hands and moved back a step as he said, “Okay, okay. Let’s calm down. I know you aren’t a bad guy, Alek.”

“I never wanted to hurt anyone, but I just couldn’t take it.” Chapman admitted as a tear fell. “That scandal was a wrecking ball to my life. All it took was one accusation from a prominent young student and she was gone… in every sense of the word.”

“Luke.” Dani blurted as the pieces came together. “His murder was different because his killer was different.” She added more to herself than anyone else.

  
  


“Yes, _ I _ killed Luke Sterling... “Chapman confessed, feeling a weight lift from his chest. “ _ after _ he accused my wife of sexual assault, ruing her career and reputation. There wasn’t even any proof, but the damage was already done. No one would hire her, none of her friends would talk to her. She got so depressed and then…” He paused to shake his head then continued. She may have been the one to slit her wrists that day, but Luke gave her the knife.”

“So, you gave it back.” Malcolm noted. “So to speak.”

“As time went on, he was living it up as big man on campus, while I was completely miserable. I decided he needed to feel the consequences of his actions as strongly as I did.” Chapman told them. “It wasn’t even hard. I used my own Zoloft prescription, snuck into his apartment, and spiked his protein shake. Once he was knocked out, I set the scene and that was that. Apparently, my research and lectures on mystery writers really paid off.”

The guy was spouting like a Central Park water fountain. The guilt had clearly been eating at him for a long time, probably since the day he committed his crime. Malcolm felt for the guy, but being wronged didn’t give you the right to wrong someone else..

“Telling the truth feels good doesn’t it?” Malcolm asked, as he watched Chapman lower the gun a bit. “Bet it felt good telling Georgie too.” He continued with a knowing cock of his head.

“It was incredible. In the course of one year, I became both a widower and a murderer. I was at the lowest point of my life when I was assigned a new TA. Georgianna came in and turned it all around. She was a light in the darkness, teaching me to live again… to  _ love  _ again. I knew I had to tell her the truth, and when I did, she understood. Just like she always did. It was in that moment that I knew I could leave the past behind and finally move on.” He explained, dropping his arm to the side, forgetting about the weapon in his hand.

“But Georgie couldn’t.” Dani remarked. “She knew about your past and saw more privileged boys in the present hurting more people she cared about.”

“So she took matters into her own hands.” Malcolm finished. “What I don’t know is when you figured it out.”

“I didn’t. As daft as it may sound, I was completely in the dark until the police brought her in. Then it all fell into place. I realized I was partly to blame and had to do something, especially when she confessed to Luke’s murder. She shouldn’t have done that. Why would she do that?”

“Because she loves you too,” Dani stated matter-of-factly. “And probably figured if she was going to jail for three murders, she might as well make it four… that way you could live your life without looking over your shoulder.”

“I’d like to say I can’t believe she would do that for me, but I  _ can  _ believe it. That’s why I have to do this for her.” Chapman said, stepping forward and raising the gun so it was a foot from Dani’s head. “Bring me Georgianna  _ now _ .”

“You don’t wanna do this.” Malcolm told him, eyes widening and heart racing faster. He would not let Dani die. He would get her out of this, he just had to stall a little longer.

“I’d listen to the brainiac if I were you.” JT chimed in, flanking Malcolm’s right, gun drawn.

Arroyo flanked his other side and barked out, “Alek Chapman, you are under arrest. Put down your weapon.”

“You are not in the position to make demands.” Chapman retorted. “ _ I  _ have your detective, _ I  _ call the shots. Bring. Me. Georgie!”

Just then Malcolm felt his cell vibrate. Saved by the bell, and not a moment too soon, Malcolm sighed, “Okay, you win. In fact, she’s outside right now.”

“What?” Chapman questioned, unprepared for his accommodating response.

“She’s waiting for you outside.” Malcolm repeated. “She’s sitting on the bus bench. Take a look out the window.”

Chapman hesitated, afraid to make any sudden movements with the policemen’s guns trained on him.

Understanding his qualm, Malcolm looked between the guys and said, “Put your guns down.” When they didn’t move a muscle, he urged them on, “ _ Please.  _ Trust me.”

JT waited for Gil to make the first move, and when the lieutenant finally put his weapon down, his subordinate copied his motion.Then, Malcolm returned his attention to Chapman and nodded, “Go look.”

“He took a step back toward the window, his gun still aimed at Dani, and peered outside. On a bus bench in front of the building, he saw a young woman in a familiar winter coat and hat with red hair and milky skin peeking out. He smiled as more tears fell from his eyes and whispered,. “My Georgie.”

Malcolm took that as his cue and charged. He meant to tackle Chapman  _ into  _ the window. However, the weakened state of the glass from the previous fire combined with the force of two grown men left them tumbling  _ through  _ it.

The team screamed after him in horror as he fell four stories. Down, down, down he went until he crashed landed into a dumpster below. When he realized the fall was over and they were stationary, Malcolm found himself alive and breathing or struggling to rather. The landing knocked the wind right out of him and surely left many bumps and bruises, but he was okay. He was  _ alive _ . Looking at Chapman, who unwillingly broke his fall, it became apparent that the same couldn’t be said for him. While his body landed on building scraps that didn’t cause much serious damage, the back of his skull was punctured by broken wood sticking out from a piece of discarded furniture. Malcolm closed his eyes and said a quick prayer for the man. As he began to push himself up, he felt hands grab him from behind and help pull him out.

Standing up right again, he wobbled as he got his bearings. Ainsley tossed off her itchy red wig and hat, throwing her arms around her brother and shrieking, “Malcolm, thank god you’re okay!” 

She nearly knocked him over, but Gil and JT helped prop him up. As they did, Gil noted, “Kid, I love you like my own, but I am never trusting you again.”

JT patted him on the back and added, “Yeah, that was crazy even for  _ you _ .”

“Well, that wasn’t  _ exactly  _ the plan I was going for.” Malcolm informed them.

“I should hope not.” Ainsley scolded. “By the way, you have some serious explaining to do, bro.” She added, the journalist and sister in her wanting to know all the gory details from the beginning, but Ainsley would pry that out of him later. For now, she was just glad he and everyone else was safe

Dani stood there a long moment just staring at Malcolm, shell-shocked about what just happened but relieved beyond belief that he was okay, and now that she knew he was okay, Dani was going to kill him.

“What the hell, Bright?!” She yelled as she punched him in the shoulder.

Pain radiated through his arm from the bruises that were forming. As he clutched it with his other arm he flinched. He definitely fractured something, but for now he pushed the pain aside and listened to the sweet sound of Dani chiding him, simply because he could because Dani was  _ safe _ . That thought made his lips curve upward.

Dani continued to rant about his recklessness then rolled her eyes at his grin, “Seriously? How can you be smiling? You just jumped out a window and fell four stories. Why would you even do something so stupid, so  _ crazy _ ?”

“Because…” Malcolm trailed off, took a deep breath, then finished with a smirk, “People always do crazy things... when they’re in  _ love _ .”

“I’m sorry, what?” Dani blurted in incredulity.

The gang all stopped what they were doing and stared at them, waiting intently to see what would happen next.

Malcolm limped closer, moving his aching arms and legs carefully to cause as little pain as possible. Keeping his gaze on Dani, he said as seriously as he could, “I’m in love with you, Dani. The thought of something happening to you is a terrifying feeling, a million times more scary than jumping out that window, which I would gladly do everyday if it meant keeping you safe. That’s how important you are to me, and I just hope that maybe you--”

Dani didn’t let him finish, she couldn’t. Instead, she ignored the soreness in her wrists and shoulders and grabbed his face. Palming his flushed cheeks, Dani crashed her lips into his…  _ hard _ . The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever while she poured all her emotions into it: her fear of losing him, her admiration of his bravery, her appreciation of his admission of love, and so on. Eventually, Dani pulled back, and, in case there was any doubt left about her feelings for him, she locked her warm brown gaze with his and stroked his dimples with her thumbs as she replied, “I love you too, Wonderboy.”

Malcolm smiled and kissed her again… and again and again until the medics arrived, and they were forced apart to get checked out. Even then, Malcolm watched Dani closely, making sure she was all right. As she gave him a reassuring smile from the back of an adjacent ambulance, Malcolm beamed back thinking Wonderboy was definitely the more accurate nickname because, as of this moment, he wasn’t feeling so lost anymore. He was found. He was hers. He was home. 


	10. Epilogue

**Six years later…**

Dani stood at the kitchen island with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her curly bob held back by an orange headband that matched her apron, which read “Hot stuff coming through!” She placed the home-made pie crust she was working on in its tin and pressed it down carefully before pinching the perimeter with her fingers. Her sous chef knelt on a stool next to her, stirring the pumpkin pie filling in a much smaller purple apron that read, “Mommy’s Little Helper.” Dani grinned as she caught her daughter sticking her little finger in the batter for the third time to taste the pumpkin-y goodness.

With a teasing voice, she playfully scolded, “Bellamy Jessica Bright, if you keep doing that there won’t be any pie left for Thanksgiving.”

The four and a half year old giggled, “It’s SO yummy, mummy!”

Dani laughed and shook her head, but before she could say anything, Malcolm entered the room through the swinging door with a bag full of last minute grocery items. He moved to set it on the island, but since it was covered in flour, egg shells, and other ingredients, he opted for the clean counter space next to the fridge. Placing it down, he said, “How are my girls doing in here?”

“Daddy, look what I made!” Bellamy cheered proudly.

Malcolm turned, moving to stand in between his wife and daughter. Crouching down to meet his little girl’s eyes, he dipped his finger in the filling mixture and smiled, “Mmmmm… that’s amazing. Good job, my little Tinkerbell.”

“Yeah, well, it will be amazing if there is any  _ left  _ by the time you two are done with it.” Dani joked.

Malcolm kissed his little girl on the forehead, then stood up straight and turned to Dani, “Don’t worry,  _ hot stuff _ , everything will be perfect.” He promised with a kiss to the cheek.

“Gross.” Bellamy wrinkled her nose at their kiss.

Malcolm looked at her and laughed, loving how much Bellamy reminded him of Dani with her dark curly hair, bronze complexion, and lack of filter. Those sparkling steel blue eyes were all him though as well as the slim button nose. Four and half years later, and he still marveled at how they created something so wonderful together. 

Dani rolled her eyes at the reference to her apron and smirked at her daughter’s remark as she said, “Okay, Bell, you ready to pour in the filling?”

“Yes!” She squealed excitedly.

As mother and daughter worked together to finish up their dessert, Malcolm stripped off his coat and took it to the hall closet. By the time he returned, the pie was in the oven and they were cleaning up. Bellamy of course was whining because the fun part was over and the last thing she wanted to do was clean. 

“You know…” He began from the opposite side of the island. “This would probably go a lot faster if you could  _ fly _ .” 

Bellamy’s eyes lit up, but then her face fell, “We need pixie dust.”

“I think we have some right over here.” Malcolm said as he came around the side of the island and stuck his hand in the sugar bag. Leaning closer to his daughter, he sprinkled some sugar into her hair.

“ _ Malcolm… _ ” Dani warned. She was trying to clean up, not make a bigger mess. Honestly, sometimes she felt like she had two kids instead of one.

“Now think happy thoughts.” He reminded her. “Like mommy or daddy.”

Bellamy jumped up onto her stool so she was standing and shrieked, “Pumpkin pie!” With that, she leapt fearlessly into the air.

“BELL!” Dani yelled worriedly. Her daughter inherited Malcolm’s eyes and nose, and, much to her dismay, Bellamy also seemed to inherit his deathwish. At least once a day she found herself having a mini heart attack at her little girl’s antics. Dani shook her head and fought a smile as Malcolm caught Bellamy and proceeded to fly her around the kitchen, thinking to herself, “ _ Like father, like daughter.” _

Dani began wiping up the spills of flour, milk, and other ingredients from their work surface as Malcolm “flew” Bellamy to one end of the island to grab the flour bag then helped her soar to the cupboard to put it away. They went back and forth to put away other items, Malcolm making sound effects and Bellamy squealing in delight as they went.

Eventually and more quickly than Dani expected, the mess was clean and she watched Malcolm “fly” their little girl into their living room. From the doorway, Dani removed her apron and leaned against the frame, watching them crash land on the couch where they proceeded to have a tickle fight.

Dani beamed proudly at her incredible husband and joyful little girl, thinking back to Malcolm’s previous sentiment.

_ “Everything will be perfect.”  _ He had said.

_ “He was wrong _ .” Dani thought to herself. It already  _ was  _ perfect.

Joining in on the fun, Dani tossed the apron onto a nearby chair and became a tickle monster too. Malcolm and Bell immediately teamed up together against her. Dani complained it was unfair, but that only made them enjoy the battle more. They carried on like that for a while, tickling and laughing and just enjoying being together and being happy.

They may not have a house in suburbia with a white picket fence that Malcolm once dreamed of, but their brownstone in the city with a wrought iron gate was pretty great and already full of the most special memories. In the end, Malcolm couldn’t picture his life turning out any other way and truly believed he deserved the joy he found with Dani and their little girl. Yes, this Thanksgiving Malcolm was very thankful. He was thankful for love, hope, faith, trust… and a little pixie dust.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Check back soon. I should have another chapter in the next week or so. Comments are always welcome, so don't hesitate to share your thoughts. I hope you find this story as an enjoyable pick me up during the hiatus. If you ask me, season 2 can't come soon enough! :)


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